LIBRARIES  AND  SCHOOLS 


PAPERS    SELECTED    BY 

SAMUEL    S.    GREEN 

Librarian  of  the  Free  Public  Library^  Worcester,  Mass. 


71        TtI 


New  York 
F.  LEYPOLDT,  Publisher 

1883 


/I* 


SCHOOt 


Copyright,  1883. 
By    F.    Leypoldt. 


S.  VT.  GREEX'S  SOX, 

Printer,  Electrotyper  and  Binder, 

74  and  76  Beekman  Street, 

NEW   YORK. 


NOTE. 

The  first  of  the  following  addresses  and  papers  has 
done  much  to  convince  teachers  that  important  aid 
may  be  had,  in  doing  the  work  which  they  have  to 
do,  by  making  a  large  use  of  libraries. 

The  others  give  accounts  of  successful  experiments 
made  in  different  places,  by  librarians  and  teachers,  in 
bringing  about  a  use  of  libraries  which  has  proved 
valuable  to  schools. 

These  papers  are  all  reprints,  but  it  has  been 
thought  that  a  good  purpose  would  be  served  by 
bringing  them  together  into  a  handy  little  volume, 
which,  if  such  a  course  seems  desirable,  it  is  proposed 
to  issue,  subsequently,  as  a  low-priced  pamphlet,  to  be 
distributed  freely  by  librarians  and  other  individuals, 
and  by  school-boards,  among  teachers  and  library 
officers. 

S.  S.  G. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


TAGE 

The  Public  Library  and  the  Public  Schools 5 

By  Charles  Francis  Adams,  Jr.  A  paper  prepared  for  the  Teach 
ers  of  the  Public  Schools  of  Quincy,  Massachusetts,  and  read 
to  them  on  the  19th  of  May,  1876.  [Reprinted  from  "  The  new- 
departure  in  the  Common  Schools  of  Quincy  and  other  papers 
on  educational  topics."    Boston:  Estes  &  Lauriat,  1881.] 

The   Relation   of  the  Public  Library  to  the  Public 

Schools 25 

By  Samuel  S.  Green,  of  Worcester,  Massachusetts.  A  paper  read 
at  a  meeting  of  the  American  Social  Science  Association,  Sep- 
tember 8, 1880.  [Reprinted  from  the  Library  Journal,  Vol.  5, 
Nos.  9-10,  September-October,  1880.  The  paper  also  appeared 
in  the  Journal  of  Social  Science,  December,  1880.] 

Libraries  as  Educational  Institutions 56 

Extract  from  "  Aids  and  Guides  for  Readers."  A  yearly  report 
read  by  Samuel  S.  Green  at  a  meeting  of  the.American  Library 
Association  at  Cincinnati,  May,  1882.  [From  the  Library  Jour- 
nal, Vol.  7,  Nos.  7-8,  July-August,  1882.] 

The   Public    Library  as  an   Auxiliary  to  the  Public 

Schools 74 

By  Robert  C.  Metcalf,  Master  of  Wells  School,  Boston.  Read  at 
a  meeting  of  the  American  Institute  of  Instruction,  at  Sara- 
toga, July  7,  1880.  [Reprinted  from  "  The  lectures  read  before 
the  American  Institute  of  Instruction."  Boston:  American  In- 
stitute of  Instruction,  1880.] 

The  Relation  of  Libraries  to  the  School  System 89 

By  William  E.  Foster,  of  Providence,  R.  I.  Read  at  a  meeting  of 
the  Rhode  Island  Institute  of  Instruction,  January  16, 1880.  [Re- 
printed from  "Three  papers  on  Reading  and  English  litera- 
ture in  schools,"  read  at  the  35th  annual  meeting  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Institute  of  Instruction,  January  15, 16, 17, 1880.  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.:  Institute  of  Instruction,  1880.] 

A  Plan  of  Systematic  Training  in  Reading  at  School.  125 
By  William  E.  Foster.    [Reprinted  from  the  Library  Journal, 
Vol.  8,  No.  2,  February,  1883.] 


ILibvavitn  autr  Schools. 


THE  PUBLIC   LIBRARY    AND    THE    PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS. 

By  Charles  F.  Adams,  Jr. 

As  the  result  of  a  conversation  I  some  time 
since  had  with  our  School  Superintendent,  Mr. 
Parker,  and  at  his  suggestion,  I  propose  this 
afternoon  to  say  a  few  words  to  you  about  books 
and  reading;  on  the  use,  to  come  directly  to  the 
point,  which  could  be  made  of  the  Public  Library 
of  the  town  in  connection  with  the  school  system 
in  general,  and  more  particularly  with  the  High 
and  upper-grade  Grammar  Schools.  I  say 
"  could  be  made"  intentionally,  for  I  am  very  sure 
that  use  is  not  now  made  ;  and  why  it  is  not  made 
is  a  question  which,  in  my  double  capacity  of  a 
member  of  the  School  Committee  and  a  trustee 
of  the  Public  Library,  I  have  during  the  last  few 
years  puzzled  over  a  good  deal. 

You  are  all  teachers  in  the  common  schools  of 
the  town  of  Ouincy,  and   I  very  freely  acknowl- 


6  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

edge  that  I  think  you*- course  as  such,  especially 
of  late,  has  been  marked  by  a  good  deal  of  zeal, 
by  a  consciousness  of  progress,  and  a  sincere  de- 
sire to  accomplish  good  results.  I  am  disposed 
neither  to  find  fault  with  you  nor  with  our 
schools, — as  schools  go.  I  should  like,  however, 
to  ask  you  this  simple  question  : — Did  it  ever, 
after  all,  occur  to  you,  what  is  the  great  end  and 
object  of  all  this  common-school  system? — Why 
do  we  get  all  these  children  together,  and  labor 
over  them  so  assiduously  year  after  year? — Now, 
it  may  well  be  that  it  never  suggested  itself  in 
that  way  to  you,  but  I  think  it  may  safely  be  as- 
serted that  the  one  best  possible  result  of  a  com- 
mon-school education, — its  great  end  and  aim, — 
should  be  to  prepare  the  children  of  the  commu- 
nity for  the  far  greater  work  of  educating  them- 
selves. 

Now,  in  education,  as  in  almost  everything 
else,  there  is  a  strong  tendency  among  those  en- 
gaged in  its  routine  work  to  mistake  the  means 
for  the  end.  I  am  always  struck  with  this  in  go- 
ing into  the  average  public  school.  It  was  es- 
pecially the  case  in  the  schools  of  this  town  four 
years  ago.  Arithmetic,  grammar,  spelling,  geog- 
raphy and  history  were  taught,  as  if  to  be  able 
to  answer  the  questions  in  the  text-books  was  the 
great  end  of  all  education.     It  was  instruction 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.       7 

through  a  perpetual  system  of  conundrums.  The 
child  was  made  to  learn  some  queer  definition 
in  words,  or  some  disagreeable  puzzle  in  figures, 
as  if  it  was  in  itself  an  acquisition  of  value, — 
something  to  be  kept  and  hoarded  like  silver 
dollars,  as  being  a  handy  thing  to  have  in  the 
house.  The  result  was  that  the  scholars  acquired 
with  immense  difficulty  something  which  they 
forgot  with  equal  ease  ;  and,  when  they  left  cur 
grammar  schools,  they  had  what  people  are 
pleased  to  call  the  rudiments  of  education,  and 
yet  not  one  in  twenty  of  them  could  sit  down 
and  write  an  ordinary  letter,  in  a  legible  hand, 
with  ideas  clearly  expressed,  and  in  words  cor- 
rectly spelled  ;  and  the  proportion  of  those  who 
left  school  with  either  the  ability  or  desire  to 
further  educate  themselves  was  scarcely  greater. 

Perhaps  you  may  think  this  an  exaggeration 
on  my  part.  If  you  do,  I  can  only  refer  you  to 
the  examination  papers  of  the  candidates  for  ad- 
mission during  any  year  to  our  High  School.  I 
have  had  occasion  to  go  over  many-  sets  of  them, 
and  I  assure  you  they  warrant  the  conclusion  I 
have  drawn. 

Going  a  step  further  and  following  the  scholar 
out  into  grown-up  life,  Infancy  that  a  comparison 
of  experiences  would  show  that  scarcely  one  out 
of  twenty  of  those  who  leave  our  schools  ever 


8  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

further  educate  themselves  in  any  great  degree, 
outside,  of  course,  of  any  special  trade  or  calling 
through  which  they  earn  a  living.  The  reason 
of  this,  I  would  now  suggest,  is  obvious  enough  ; 
and  it  is  not  the  fault  of  the  scholar.  It  is  the 
fault  of  a  system  which  brings  a  community  up 
in  the  idea  that  a  poor  knowledge  of  the  rudi- 
ments of  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  consti- 
tutes in  itself  an  education.  Now,  on  the  con- 
trary, it  seems  to  me  that  the  true  object  of  all  your 
labors  as  real  teachers,  if  indeed  you  are  such, — 
the  great  end  of  the  common-school  system,  is 
something  more  than  to  teach  children  to  read; 
it  should,  if  it  is  to  accomplish  its  full  mission, 
also  impart  to  them  a  love  of  reading. 

A  man  or  woman  whom  a  whole  childhood 
spent  in  the  common  schools  has  made  able  to 
stumble  through  a  newspaper,  or  labor  through 
a  few  trashy  books,  is  scarcely  better  off  than  one 
who  cannot  read  at  all.  Indeed,  I  doubt  if  he  or 
she  is  as  well  off,  for  it  has  long  been  observed 
that  a  very  small  degree  of  book  knowledge 
almost  universally  takes  a  depraved  shape.  The 
animal  will  come  out.  The  man  who  can  barely 
spell  out  his  newspaper  confines  his  spelling  in 
nine  cases  out  of  ten  to  those  highly  seasoned 
portions  of  it  which  relate  to  acts  of  violence, 
and  especially  to   murders.     Among  those  who 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.      9 

make  a  profession  of  journalism  this  is  a  per- 
fectly well  known  fact;  and  any  one  who  doubts 
it  may  satisfy  himself  on  the  subject  almost  any 
day  by  a  few  words  of  inquiry  at  a  news-stand. 
Mr.  Souther,  in  this  town,  I  fancy,  could  impart 
to  any  of  you,  who  happen  to  be  curious,  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  information  under  this  head. 
A  little  learning  is  proverbially  a  dangerous 
thing ;  and  the  less  the  learning  the  greater  the 
danger. 

Let  us  recur,  then,  to  my  cardinal  proposition, 
that  the  great  end  of  all  school  education  is  to 
make  people  able  to  educate  themselves.  You 
start  them ;  that  is  all  the  best  teacher  can  do. 
Whether  he  is  called  a  professor  and  lectures  to 
great  classes  of  grown  men  at  a  university,  or  is 
a  country  school-master  who  hammers  rudiments 
into  children,  he  can  do  no  more  than  this;  but 
this  every  teacher,  if  he  chooses,  can  do.  How 
very  few  do  it  though  !  Not  one  out  of  ten  ; — 
scarcely  one  out  of  twenty.  It  is  here  our  system 
fails. 

I  do  not  know  that  what  I  am  about  to  sug- 
gest has  ever  been  attempted  anywhere,  but  I  feel 
great  confidence  that  it  would  succeed  ;  there- 
fore, I  would  like  to  see  it  attempted  in  Quincy. 
Having  started  the  child  by  means  of  what  we 
call  a  common-school  course, — having,  as  it  were, 


TO  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

learned  it  to  walk, — the  process  of  further  self- 
education  is  to  begin.  The  great  means  of  self- 
education  is  through  books — through  much  read- 
ing of  books.  But  in  our  system  of  instruction 
there  is  just  here  a  missing  link.  In  our  schools 
we  teach  children  to  read; — we  do  not  teach  them 
how  to  read.  That,  the  one  all-important  thing, — 
the  great  connecting  link  between  school-edu- 
cation and  self-education, — between  means  and 
end, — that  one  link  we  make  no  effort  to  supply. 
As  long  as  we  do  not  make  an  effort  to  supply  it, 
our  school  system  in  its  result  is  and  will  remain 
miserably  deficient.  For  now,  be  it  remembered, 
the  child  of  the  poorest  man  in  Ouincy — the  off- 
spring of  our  paupers  even — has  an  access  as  free 
as  the  son  of  a  millionaire,  or  the  student  of  Har- 
vard College,  to  what  is,  for  practical  general  use, 
a  perfect  library.  The  old  days  of  intellectual 
famine  for  the  masses  are  over,  and  plenty  reigns. 
Yet,  though  the  school  and  the  library  stand  on  our 
main  street  side  by  side,  there  is,  so  to  speak,  no 
bridge  leading  from  the  one  to  the  other.  As  far  as 
I  can  judge  we  teach  our  children  the  mechanical 
part  of  reading,  and  then  we  turn  them  loose  to 
take  their  chances.  If  the  child  has  naturally  an 
inquiring  or  imaginative  mind,  it  perchance  may 
work  its  way  unaided  through  the  traps  and  pit- 
falls of  literature  ;  but  the  chances  seem  tome  to 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    II 

be  terribly  against  it.  It  is  so  very  easy,  and  so 
very  pleasant  too,  to  read  only  books  which  lead 
to  nothing, — light  and  interesting  and  exciting 
books,  and  the  more  exciting  the  better, — that  it 
is  almost  as  difficult  to  wean  ourself  from  it  as 
from  the  habit  of  chewing  tobacco  to  excess,  or 
of  smoking  the  whole  time,  or  of  depending  for 
stimulus  on  tea  or  coffee  or  spirits.  Yet  here, — 
on  the  threshold  of  this  vast  field,  you  might 
even  call  it  this  wilderness  of  general  literature, 
full  as  it  is  of  holes  and  bogs  and  pitfalls  all  cov- 
ered over  with  poisonous  plants, — here  it  is  that 
our  common-school  system  brings  our  children, 
and,  having  brought  them  there,  it  leaves  them 
to  go  on  or  not,  just  as  they  please ;  or,  if  they 
do  go  on,  they  are  to  find  their  own  way  or  to 
lose  it,  as  it  may  chance. 

I  think  this  is  all  wrong.  Our  educational  sys- 
tem stops  just  where  its  assistance  might  be  made 
invaluable, — just  where  it  passes  out  of  the  me- 
chanical and  touches  the  individual, — just  where 
instruction  ceases  to  be  drudgery  and  becomes  a 
source  of  pleasure.  Now,  I  do  not  propose  for 
myself  any  such  task  as  an  attempted  radical  re- 
form of  education.  Each  man  has  his  own  work 
to  do,  and  that  is  not  mine.  What  I  do  want  to 
suggest  to  you  Grammar  School  teachers  is  that 
it  is  in  the  power  of  each  one  of  you  to  introduce 


12  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

a  great  spirit  of  improvement  into  your  own 
schools,  and  at  the  same  time  the  greatest  pleas- 
ure and  interest  a  true  teacher  can  have  into 
your  own  lives. 

You  know  it  is  said  that  poets  are  born,  not 
made ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  teachers.  For 
myself,  I  don't  think  I  could  teach; — if  I  had  to 
take  my  choice  I  would  rather  break  stones 
in  the  highway  ;  and  yet  other  and  better  men 
than  I  would  rather  teach  than  do  anything 
else.  There  is  Dr.  Dimmock  at  the  Academy, 
for  instance.  He  found  his  place  in  life,  and  a 
great  one  too,  only  when  he  got  behind  the  mas- 
ter's desk.  He  was  born  to  teach  boys,  and,  with 
much  happiness  to  himself  and  them,  he  is  fulfill- 
ing his  destiny.  But,  though  I  never  could  teach 
myself,  I  can  see  clearly  enough  that  the  one 
thing  which  makes  the  true  teacher  and  which 
distinguishes  him  from  the  mechanical  peda- 
gogue, which  any  man  may  become,  is  the  faculty 
of  interesting  himself  in  the  single  pupil, — seeing, 
watching,  aiding  the  development  of  the  indi- 
vidual mind.  I  never  tried  it,  but  I  know  just 
what  it  must  be  from  my  own  experience  in  other 
matters.  I  have  a  place  here  in  town,  for  in- 
stance, upon  which  I  live  ;  and  there  I  not  only 
grow  fields  of  corn  and  carrots,  but  also  a  great 
many  trees.     Now,  my  fields  of  corn  or  carrots 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    13 

are  to  me  what  a  mechanical  pedagogue's  school 
is  to  him.  I  like  to  see  them  well  ordered  and 
planted  in  even  rows,  all  growing  exactly  alike, 
and  producing  for  each  crop  so  many  bushels  of 
corn  or  carrots  to  the  acre,  one  carrot  being 
pretty  nearly  the  same  as  another ; — and  then, 
when  the  Autumn  comes  and  the  farming  term 
closes,  I  prepare  my  land,  as  the  pedagogue  does 
his  school-room,  for  the  next  crop; — and  the  last 
is  over  and  gone.  It  is  not  so,  however,  with  my 
trees.  They  are  to  me  just  what  his  pupils  are 
to  the  born  school-master, — to  Dr.  Dimmock,  for 
instance;  in  each  one  I  take  an  individual  inter- 
est. I  watch  them  year  after  year,  and  see  them 
grow  and  shoot  out  and  develop.  Now  let  me 
apply  my  simile.  You  are,  all  of  you,  I  hope, 
and  if  you  are  not  you  at  least  believe  yourselves 
to  be,  born  teachers,  and  not  mechanical  peda- 
gogues ;  so,  of  course,  your  schools  ought  to  be 
to  you,  not  mere  fields  in  which  you  turn  out 
regular  crops  of  human  cabbages  and  potatoes, 
but  they  should  be  plantations  also  in  which  you 
raise,  at  least,  a  few  trees  in  the  individual  growth 
of  which  you  take  a  master's  interest.  This  feel- 
ing and  this  only  it  is  which  can  make  a  teacher's 
life  ennobling, — the  finding  out  among  his  pupils 
those  who  have  in  them  the  material  of  superior 
men  and  women,  and  then  nurturing  them  and 


14  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

aiding  in  their  development,  and  making  of  them 
something  which,  but  for  their  teacher,  they  never 
would  have  been.  These  pupils  are  to  their 
teacher  what  my  oak  trees  are  to  me ; — but  for 
me  those  trees  would  have  died  in  the  acorn, 
probably, — at  most  they  would  have  been  mere 
scrub  bushes  ; — but  now  through  me, — wholly 
owing  to  my  intervention  and  care, — they  are 
growing  and  developing,  and  there  are  among 
them  those  which  some  day,  a  hundred  years, 
perhaps,  after  my  children  are  all  dead  of  old  age, 
will  be  noble  oaks.  Then  no  one  will  know  that 
I  ever  lived,  much  less  trouble  himself  to  think 
that  to  me  those  trees  owed  their  lives, — yet  it  is 
so  none  the  less,  and  those  are  my  trees  no  mat- 
ter how  much  I  am  dead  and  forgotten.  So  of 
your  scholars.  If  you,  during  your  lives  as 
teachers,  can,  among  all  your  mass  of  pupils,  find 
out  and  develop  through  your  own  personal  con- 
tact only  a  few, — say  half-a-dozen, — remarkable 
men  and  women,  who  but  for  you  and  your  ob- 
servation and  watchfulness  and  guidance  would 
have  lived  and  died  not  knowing  what  they 
could  do,  then,  if  you  do  nothing  more  than  this, 
you  have  done  an  immense  work  in  life. 

This  dealing  with  the  individual  and  not  with 
the  class,  is,  therefore,  the  one  great  pleasure  of 
the  true  school-teacher's  life.   It  can  only  be  done 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    15 

in  one  way, — you  have  to  furnish  the  individual 
mind  the  nutriment  it  wants,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  gently  direct  it  in  the  way  it  should  go.  In 
other  words,  if  the  teacher  is  going  to  give  him- 
self the  intense  enjoyment  and  pleasure  of  doing 
this  work,  he  cannot  stop  at  the  border  of  that 
wilderness  of  literature  of  which  I  was  just  now 
speaking,  but  he  has  got  to  take  the  pupil  by  the 
hand  and  enter  into  it  with  him; — he  must  be  more 
than  his  pedagogue,  he  must  be  his  guide,  phi- 
losopher and  friend.  And  so  the  teacher,  with 
the  scholar's  hand  in  his,  comes  at  last  to  the 
doors  of  the  Public  Library. 

When  he  gets  there,  however,  he  will  probably 
find  himself  almost  as  much  in  need  of  an  in- 
structor as  his  own  pupils ;  and  here  at  last  I 
come  to  the  immediate  subject  on  which  I  want 
to  talk  to  you.  I  wish  to  say  something  of  the 
books  and  reading  of  children, — of  the  general 
introduction  into  literature  which,  if  you  choose, 
you  are  able  to  give  your  scholars,  and  which,  if 
you  do  give  it  to  them,  is  worth  more  than  all 
the  knowledge  contained  in  all  the  text-books 
that  ever  were  printed.  To  your  whole  schools, 
if  you  only  want  to,  you  can  give  an  elementary 
training  as  readers,  and  if  in  this  matter  you  once 
set  them  going  in  the  way  they  should  go,  you 
need  not  fear  that  they  will  ever  depart  from  it. 


l6  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

Now,  in  the  first  place,  let  me  suppose  that  you 
want  to  start  your  schools  in  general  on  certain 
courses  of  reading, — courses  which  would  inter- 
est and  improve  you,  probably,  hardly  less  than 
your  scholars, — how  would  you  go  about  it? — 
Through  individual  scholars,  of  course.  You 
would  run  your  eye  down  your  rows  of  desks  and 
pick  out  the  occupants  of  two  or  three,  and  with 
them  you  would  start  the  flock.  Human  beings 
are  always  and  everywhere  like  sheep,  in  that 
they  will  go  where  the  bell-wether  leads.  Pick- 
ing out  the  two  or  three,  then,  you  turn  to  the 
shelves  of  the  library.  And  now  you  yourselves 
are  to  be  put  to  the  test.  You  have  dared  to 
leave  the  safe,  narrow  rut  in  which  the  pedagogue 
travels,  and  you  have  ventured  into  the  fields 
with  your  pupils  behind  you, — do  you  know 
the  way  here? — can  you  distinguish  the  firm 
ground  from  the  boggy  mire? — the  good  sound 
wood  from  the  worthless  parasite? — If  you  can, 
you  are  indeed  fit  to  be  teachers.  I  hope  you  all 
can,  and  in  that  case  the  suggestions  I  have  to 
make  will  be  little  better  than  wasted ;  but  if,  as 
I  suspect,  we  none  of  us  know  any  too  much, 
what  I  am  about  to  say  may  be  of  some  use.  In 
the  first  place,  then,  in  trying  to  inoculate  chil- 
dren with  a  healthy  love  of  good  reading, — for 
this  is  what  we  are  talking  of,  the  inoculation 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    17 

of  children  with  a  taste  for  good,  miscellaneous 
reading, —  in  attempting  that,  the  first  thing  to  be 
borne  in  mind  is,  that  children  are  not  grown 
people. 

There  are  few  things  more  melancholy  than  to 
reflect  on  the  amount  of  useless  labor  which 
good,  honest,  conscientious  men  and  women  have 
incurred,  and  the  amount  of  real  suffering  they 
have  inflicted  on  poor  little  children  through  the 
disregard  of  this  one  obvious  fact.  When  I  was 
young,  I  remember,  my  father,  from  a  conscien- 
tious feeling,  I  suppose,  that  he  ought  to  do 
something  positive  for  my  mental  and  moral 
good  and  general  aesthetic  cultivation,  made  me 
learn  Pope's  Messiah  by  heart,  and  a  number 
of  other  masterpieces  of  the  same  character.  He 
might  just  as  well  have  tried  to  feed  a  sucking 
baby  on  roast  beef  and  Scotch  ale !  Without 
understanding  a  word  of  it,  I  learned  the  Mes- 
siah by  rote,  and  I  have  hated  it,  and  its  author 
too,  from  that  day  to  this,  and  I  hate  them  now. 
So,  also,  I  remember  well  when  I  was  a  boy  of  from 
ten  to  fourteen, — for  I  was  a  considerable  de- 
vourer  of  books,  being  incited  to  read  Hume's 
History  of  England,  and  Robertson's  Charles 
V.,  and  Gibbon's  Rome  even,  and  I  am  not 
sure  I  might  not  add  Mitford's  Greece.  I  can't 
now  say  it  was  time   thrown  away;  but  it  was 


l8  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

almost  that.  The  first  thing  in  trying  to  stimu- 
late a  love  of  reading  is  to  be  careful  not  to  create 
a  disgust  by  trying  to  do  too  much.  The  great 
masterpieces  of  human  research,  and  eloquence, 
and  fancy  are  to  boys  pure  nuisances.  They 
can't  understand  them  ;  they  can't  appreciate 
them,  if  they  do.  When  they  have  grown  up  to 
them  and  are  ready  for  them,  they  will  come  to 
them  of  their  own  accord.  Meanwhile  you  can't 
well  begin  too  low  down.  The  intellectual  like  the 
physical  food  of  children  can't  well  be  too  simple, 
provided  only  it  is  healthy  and  nourishing. 

Not  that  I  for  a  moment  pretend  that  I  could 
now  suggest  a  successful  course  of  grammar- 
school  literature  myself.  The  intellectual  nutri- 
ment which  children  like  those  you  have  in 
charge  are  fitted  to  digest  and  assimilate  must 
be  found  out  through  a  long  course  of  observa- 
tion and  experiment.  I  think  I  could  tell  you 
what  a  boy  in  the  upper  classes  of  the  academy 
would  probably  like;  but  if  I  were  to  undertake 
to  lay  out  courses  of  reading  for  the  scholars  of 
our  grammar  schools,  it  would  certainly  soon  be- 
come very  clear  that  I  did  not  know  what  I  was 
talking  about.  I  am  very  sure  I  should  not  give 
them  the  books  they  now  read  ;  but  I  am  scarcely 
less  sure  they  would  not  read  the  books  I  wculd 
give  them.     Nothing  but  actual  trial,  and  a  pro- 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.   1 9 

longed  trial  at  that,  will  bring  us  any  results 
worth  having  in  this  respect;  and  that  trial  is 
only  possible  through  you. 

But,  in  a  very  general  way,  let  us  suppose 
that  we  are  beginning  on  the  new  system  and 
that  your  school  is  studying  history  and  geog- 
raphy,— we  will  take  those  two  branches  and  see 
what  we  could  do  in  connection  with  them  to 
introduce  your  scholars  into  general  literature. 
History  opens  up  the  whole  broad  field  of  his- 
torical works  and  also  of  biography, — it  is  closely 
connected  with  fiction  too,  and  poetry;  geography 
at  once  suggests  the  library  of  travels.  Now,  we 
find  that  of  all  forms  of  literature  there  is  not 
one  which  in  popularity  can  compare  with  fiction. 
From  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  men  and  women 
love  story-telling.  What  is  more,  it  is  well  they 
do  ;  a  good  novel  is  a  good  thing,  and  a  love  for 
good  novels  is  a  healthy  taste ;  yet  there  is  no 
striking  episode  in  history  which  has  not  been 
made  the  basis  of  some  good  work  of  fiction. 
Only  it  is  necessary  for  you  to  find  that  workout, 
and  to  put  it  in  the  hands  of  your  scholars  ;  they 
cannot  find  it  out  unaided. 

Next  in  popularity  to  works  of  fiction  are  trav- 
els. A  good,  graphic  book  of  travel  and  adven- 
ture captivates  almost  every  one,  no  matter  what 
the  age.     After  travels  comes  biography ;  any 


20  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

girl  will  read  the  story  of  Mary.  Queen  of  Scots , 
any  boy  the  life  of  Paul  Jones.  Now,  here  is  our 
starting-point,  and  these  fundamental  facts  we 
cannot  ignore  and  yet  succeed  ;  human  beings 
have  to  be  interested  and  amused,  and  they  do 
not  love  to  be  bored, — and  children  least  of  all 
are  an  exception  to  the  rule.  If,  then,  we  can 
instruct  and  improve  them  while  we  are  interest- 
ing and  amusing  them,  we  are  securing  the  result 
we  want  in  the  natural  and  easy  way.  There  is 
no  forcing.  And  this  is  exactly  what  any  well- 
informed  and  older  person  can  do  for  any  child. 
They  can,  in  the  line  of  education,  put  it  in  the 
way  of  instruction  through  amusement. 

Take  for  instance  geography,  and  suppose  your 
class  is  studying  the  map  of  Africa; — the  whole 
great  field  of  African  exploration  and  adventure 
is  at  once  opened  up  to  you  and  your  scholars. 
Turn  to  the  catalogue  of  our  Public  Library  and 
see  what  a  field  of  interesting  investigations  is 
spread  out,  first  for  yourself  and  then  for  them. 
Here  are  a  hundred  volumes,  and  you  want  to 
look  them  all  over  to  see  which  to  put  in  the 
hands  of  your  selected  pupils,  which  are  long  and 
dull,  and  which  are  compact  and  stirring, — which 
are  adapted  to  boys  and  which  to  girls, — and  how 
you  will  get  your  scholars  started  in  them.  Once 
get  them  going,  and  the  map  will  cease  to  be  a 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.   2  1 

map  and  become  a  picture  full  of  life  and  adven- 
ture, not  only  to  them,  but  to  you.  You  will 
follow  with  them  Livingstone  and  Stanley  and 
Baker  ;  and  the  Pyramids  will  become  realities 
to  them  as  they  read  of  Moses  and  the  Pharaohs, 
and  of  Cleopatra  and  Hannibal.  The  recitation 
then  becomes  a  lecture  in  which  the  pupils  tell 
all  they  have  found  out  in  the  books  they  have 
read,  and  in  which  the  teacher  can  suggest  the 
reading  of  yet  other  books ;  while  the  mass  of  the 
scholars,  from  merely  listening  to  the  few,  are 
stimulated  to  themselves  learn  something  of  all 
these  interesting  things. 

So  of  our  own  country  and  its  geography.  The 
field  of  reading  which  wrould  charm  and  interest 
any  ordinary  boy  or  girl  in  this  connection  is 
almost  unlimited,  but  they  cannot  find  it  out. 
They  need  guidance.  What  active-minded  boy, 
for  instance,  but  would  thoroughly  enjoy  por- 
tions at  least  of  Parkman's  Discovery  of  the 
Great  West,  or  his  Pioneers  of  France  in  the 
New  World,  or  his  Oregon  Trail  ?  And  yet 
how  many  of  you  have  ever  glanced  into  one  of 
those  absorbing  books  yourselves  ? — Nor  are  they 
long  either;  in  each  case  one  moderate-sized 
volume  tells  the  whole  story. 

Mark  Twain,  even,  would  here  come  in  through 
his  "  Roughing  It,"  and  Ross  Browne  through 


22  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

his  "Apache  Country."  Once  entered  upon, 
however,  it  would  not  be  easy  to  exhaust  the  list. 
The  story  of  Mexico  and  Peru, — Cortez  and 
Pizarro, — the  voyages  of  Columbus  and  the  ad- 
ventures of  De  Soto, — they  have  been  told  in  fic- 
tion and  in  history,  and  it  is  to-day  a  terrible  shame 
to  us,  and  to  our  whole  school  system,  that  we 
teach  American  history,  and  yet  don't  know  how 
to  make  the  study  of  American  history  as  inter- 
esting to  our  children  as  a  novel. 

But,  after  all,  as  I  have  already  said,  when  you 
come  to  miscellaneous  reading  you  cannot  lay 
down  general  rules  applicable  to  all  cases;  you 
have  got  to  try  experiments  and  watch  them  as 
they  progress.  To  induce  some  of  you  to  try 
these  experiments  has  been  my  object  in  thus 
meeting  you  to-day.  I  believe  you  would  find 
that  so  doing  would  lend  a  new  life,  a  new  inter- 
est, a  new  significance  to  your  profession. 

When  the  catalogue  of  the  Public  Library  was 
published  a  year  ago,  I  caused  one  copy  of  it  to 
be  specially  bound  for  the  use  of  each  Grammar 
School.  I  was  in  hopes  that  the  teachers  would 
use  them  in  connection  with  the  studies  in  those 
schools,  and  would  induce  the  scholars  to  use 
them  too.  As  I  have  visited  the  schools  since,  I 
have  usually  taken  occasion  to  ask  for  those  cata- 
logues, and  I  am  sorry  to  say  I  have  generally 


PUBLIC    LIBRARY    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.   23 

found  them — there  are  two  or  three  notable  ex- 
ceptions to  this  remark — locked  away  in  some 
drawer  of  the  master's  desk,  and  looking  on  ex- 
amination most  suggestively  fresh  and  clean. 
My  hint  had  not  been  taken.  I  now  state  the 
point  more  plainly.  I  want  very  much  indeed  to 
see  our  really  admirable  town  library  become  a 
more  living  element  than  it  now  is  in  our  school 
system, — its  complement,  in  fact.  Neither  trustee 
nor  librarian — no  matter  how  faithful  or  zealous 
they  may  be — can  make  it  so ;  for  we  cannot 
know  enough  of  the  individual  scholars  to  give 
them  that  which  they  personally  need,  and  which 
only  they  will  take  ; — you  cannot  feed  them  until 
you  know  what  they  like  ;  and  that,  we,  in  deal- 
ing with  the  mass,  cannot  get  at.  You  teachers, 
however,  can  get  at  it  if  you  choose.  To  enable 
you  to  do  this,  the  trustees  of  the  library  have 
adopted  a  new  rule  under  which  each  of  your 
schools  maybe  made  practically  a  branch  library. 
The  master  can  himself  select  and  take  from  the 
library  a  number  of  volumes,  and  keep  them  on 
his  desk  for  circulation  among  the  scholars  under 
his  charge.  He  can  study  their  tastes  and  ran- 
sack the  library  to  gratify  them.  Nay  more,  if 
you  will  but  find  out  what  your  scholars  want, — 
what  healthy  books  are  in  demand  among  them, 
— the  trustees  of  the  library  will   see  to  it  that 


24  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

you  do  not  want  material.  You  shall  have  all  the 
books  you  will  call  for.  When,  indeed,  you  be- 
gin to  call,  we  shall  know  exactly  what  to  buy ; 
and  then,  at  last,  we  could  arrange  in  printed 
bulletins  the  courses  of  reading  which  your  ex- 
perience would  point  out  as  best,  so  that  every 
book  would  be  accessible.  From  that  time  both 
schools  and  library  would  begin  to  do  their  full 
work  together,  and  the  last  would  become  what 
it  ought  to  be,  the  natural  complement  of  the 
first, — the  People's  College. 


THE  RELATION   OF  THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 
TO  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOL. 

By  Samuel  S.  Green. 

It  is  obviously  important  to  maintain  close  re- 
lations between  libraries  and  educational  insti- 
tutions which  are  designed  for  students  whose 
minds  are  somewhat  mature. 

A  wise  college  professor  encourages  and  stimu- 
lates learners  to  look  at  subjects  from  many 
points  of  view,  to  examine  processes  by  which 
scholars  reach  conclusions,  and  to  make  investi- 
gations themselves.  Such  methods  only  are  re- 
quisite when  a  period  of  history  is  to  be  studied, 
opinions  regarding  questions  in  political  econo- 
my or  natural  history  to  be  considered,  an  Eng- 
lish or  classical  author  to  be  interpreted,  or  con- 
troverted questions  in  philosophy  or  theology  to 
be  discussed. 

Students  in  advanced  educational  institutions 
should  therefore  have  free  access  to  the  best 
books  in  all  departments  of  knowledge.  They 
need  instructors  who,  however  positive  their  own 
opinions  may  be  in  regard  to  controverted  ques- 


26  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

tions,  and  however  earnest  they  may  be  in  utter- 
ing these  convictions,  nevertheless  are  animated 
by  a  broad,  unsectarian  spirit  in  teaching.  They 
need,  also,  books  to  enable  them  to  pursue  their 
studies  in  accordance  with  the  views  and  spirit  of 
such  instructors. 

At  Brown  University  it  is  considered  practica- 
ble to  allow  students  to  go  into  the  alcoves  with- 
out permission,  and  take  from  the  shelves  such 
books  as  they  wish  to  use. 

While  inspecting,  three  years  ago,  the  library 
in  the  building  especially  devoted  to  the  study  of 
Natural  History  at  Oxford  University,  I  noticed 
that  much  space  was  given  to  collections  of  books 
needed  by  students  in  their  daily  work.  These 
books  were  kept  by  themselves,  and  old  books 
were  withdrawn  from  the  shelves  and  new  ones 
added  as  occasion  required.  Students  had  free 
access  to  these  collections,  and  were  thus  kept 
from  the  discouragement  which  young  inquirers 
(may  I  not  say  nearly  all  inquirers  ?)  feel  in  select- 
ing, with  no  aid  but  that  afforded  by  the  cata- 
logue of  a  large  library,  such  books  as  are  needed 
in  somewhat  limited  researches. 

In  Harvard  College  library,  a  large  number  of 
the  professors  designate  works  to  be  set  aside, 
on  shelves  prepared  for  the  purpose,  for  the  use 
of  students   in    pursuing  courses  of   instruction 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     27 

given  by  them,  and  I  learn  from  its  distinguished 
librarian  that  it  is  his  purpose  to  select  from  the 
great  collection  of  books  under  his  charge  30,000 
or  40,000  volumes,  to  be  used  by  students  as  a 
working  library. 

They  are  to  have  the  privilege  of  roaming  at 
pleasure  through  the  shelving  devoted  to  this  col- 
lection, and  of  rummaging  at  will  among  the 
books.  As  works  become  antiquated  they  will 
be  removed  from  these  shelves,  and  new  ones 
will  be  constantly  placed  upon  them.* 

Additional  advantages  are  within  reach,  where, 
as  in  Rochester  University,  it  is  the  practice  of 
several  of  the  professors  to  meet  students  at  the 
library  during  specified  hours,  to  talk  over  with 
them  subjects  that  they  are  interested  in  and  as-, 
sist  in  the  selection  of  books  needed  in  their  in- 
vestigation and  treatment.  Where,  as  in  the 
largest  colleges  of  the  country,  it  is  not  custom- 
ary for  the  professors  to  meet  many  of  the  stu- 
dents excepting  in  the  class  or  lecture-room, 
there  should  be  a  librarian  or  competent  assist- 
ant, whose  duty  it  is  to  give  whatever  time  is 
needed  in  rendering  assistance  to  persons  engaged 

*  Students  in  Harvard  University  now  (Jan.,  1883)  have  cards 
given  to  them  which  admit  them  to  such  portions  of  the  great 
stack  as  contain  books  treating  of  subjects  in  which  they  are 
making  special  studies. 


28  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

in  investigation.  Such  an  officer  should  be  care- 
ful not  to  render  the  inquirer  dependent,  and  only 
to  remove  obstacles  enough  to  make  investiga- 
tion attractive. 

The  librarian  of  a  college  can  easily  supplement 
his  general  knowledge  of  books  with  the  special 
bibliographical  information  had  by  the  professors 
of  the  institution. 

The  student  often  needs  to  be  referred  to 
sources  of  information.  If,  for  example,  he  has 
to  consider  one  of  the  applications  of  science  to 
the  arts,  arrangements  at  the  library  should  be 
such  that  he  will  have  standard  works  and  mono- 
graphs pointed  out  to  him,  and  his  attention 
called  to  the  sets  of  proceedings  and  transactions 
of  learned  societies  and  periodicals  which  should 
be  consulted  by  him,  with  the  aid  of  indexes,  in 
seeking  for  the  information  he  desires. 

It  is  not  enough  to  set  aside  in  a  college  library 
collections  of  books  illustrative  of  the  various 
branches  of  knowledge.  Students  need,  also,  the 
assistance  of  accomplished  professors  or  a  well- 
informed  librarian  in  making  researches.  This 
assistance  leads  to  a  more  thorough  performance 
of  work  in  hand. 

It  does  more  than  this,  however.  Its  best  re- 
sults are  found  in  the  knowledge  which  it  gives 
the  inquirer  of  finding  out  how  to  get  at  informa- 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     20 

tion  by  the  use  of  books,  and  in  the  formation  in 
him  of  the  habit  of  making  investigations  and  in 
the  acquisition  of  facility  in  their  conduct. 

It  may  be  mentioned  incidentally  that  where 
higher  educational  institutions  depend  upon 
public  libraries  for  books,  and  these  are  situated 
at  a  distance  from  their  buildings,  it  has  proved 
useful,  in  one  instance,  at  least,  to  enlist  students 
in  the  work  of  making  an  index  of  some  of  the 
principal  sets  of  transactions  which  they  and  the 
professors  have  oftenest  to  consult,  to  be  kept 
where  its  use  will  be  convenient  to  them. 

Academies  and  high  schools  need  access  to 
well-furnished  libraries.  Worcester,  Massachu- 
setts, is  a  small  city  of  about  60,000  inhabitants. 
It  has  many  educational  institutions  besides  its 
public  schools.  In  addition  to  the  Free  Institute 
of  Industrial  Science  and  the  College  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  institutions  which  make  a  constant  use  of 
the  Public  Library,  but  which  for  our  present 
purpose  should  be  classed  with  colleges,  it  has 
a  State  Normal  School,  an  endowed  academy,  a 
military  school,  and  several  smaller  schools  for 
young  ladies  and  boys.  It  has,  also,  a  large  high 
school.  Teachers  and  pupils  from  all  of  these 
schools  make  a  large  use  of  the  Public  Library 
every  day.  Thus  the  students  at  the  Normal 
School  use  it  for  a  variety  of  purposes.     They  are 


30  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

required,  for  example,  to  choose  subjects  which 
they  will  talk  about  before  the  school  for  a  few 
minutes.  They  come  to  the  library  with  sub- 
jects selected  on  which  they  wish  for  information. 
This  they  get  when  they  can  from  reference 
books  which  they  are  allowed  to  consult  without 
asking  permission.  They  call,  too,  for  such  books 
as  they  desire.  When,  however,  as  is  frequently 
the  case,  they  do  not  know  what  the  sources  of  in- 
formation are,  or  which  of  several  books  it  is  well 
to  read  or  study,  they  go  to  the  librarian  for  as- 
sistance, and  he  points  out  to  them  books,  pam- 
phlets, and  articles  which  contain  the  material 
desired  by  them  in  the  form  they  wish.  The  li- 
brarian, in  searching  for  information,  conducts 
the  search,  in  so  far  as  is  possible,  in  the  presence 
of  the  inquirer,  so  as  to  teach  him  how  to  get  at 
information  desired. 

These  pupils  are  also  required  to  write  essays 
on  various  topics  illustrative  of  the  principles  and 
art  of  instruction.  The  librarian  refers  them  to 
the  writings  of  such  authors  as  Richter  and  Rous- 
seau, Locke  and  Bain,  Mann  and  Spencer,  and  to 
sets  of  such  periodicals  as  Barnard's  Journal  of 
Education  and  to  series  of  volumes  containing 
addresses  and  accounts  of  discussions  in  the  an- 
nual meetings  of  the  American  Institute  of  In- 
struction, the  National  Educational  Association 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     3 1 

and  other  bodies,  and  to  reports  of  the  best  super- 
visors and  superintendents  of  schools.  Professor 
Russell,  the  principal  of  the  Normal  School,  in 
writing  about  the  connection  between  the  Public 
Library  and  this  school  last  April,  made  the  fol- 
lowing statements :  "I  find,  upon  inquiry,  that 
during  the  current  school  year,  beginning  last 
September,  not  less  than  64  per  cent,  of  the  stu- 
dents of  the  State  Normal  School  have  had  oc- 
casion to  visit  the  Public  Library  to  pursue  inves- 
tigations connected  with  their  studies,  several  re- 
porting upward  of  twenty  such  visits,  and  this 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the  school  is  situ- 
ated at  a  distance  from  the  library,  and  that  we 
have  an  excellent  though  small  working  library 
of  our  own.  The  works  thus  consulted  cover  a 
wide  range,  but  are  chiefly  in  the  departments  of 
science,  history,  art,  politics,  statistics,  biography, 
and  general  literature.  So  far  as  our  own  school 
is  concerned,  therefore,  we  could  not  without 
serious  loss  dispense  with  so  valuable  an  auxiliary 
in  the  training  of  teachers  for  the  public  schools. 
Moreover,  I  find  that  our  graduates  who  go  away 
from  Worcester  to  teach,  very  generally  complain  of 
the  inconvenience  and  privation  they  feel  in  being 
cut  off  from  the  privileges  of  the  Public  Library." 
In  the  high  school  some  of  the  teachers,  for  the 
purpose  of  cultivating  readiness  in  expression  and 


32  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

ease  in  composition,  as  well  as  with  the  object 
of  rendering  the  knowledge  of  subjects  taught 
thorough,  require  scholars  to  talk  and  write  fre- 
quently about  subjects  suggested  by  the  lessons 
and  lectures,  and  thus  to  pursue  limited  investi- 
gations in  such  branches  of  knowledge  as  history, 
chemistry,  English  literature,  and  classical  biog- 
raphy and  antiquities.  It  is  customary  in  this 
school,  when  questions  occur  to  the  teacher  that 
cannot  be  answered  by  the  use  of  books  at  hand,  or 
are  asked  by  scholars,  for  a  teacher  or  pupil  to  go  to 
the  library  before  the  next  session  of  the  school, 
and  by  consultation  with  the  librarian  or  an  assist- 
ant select  works  containing  the  answers  sought. 

An  advanced  class,  which  is  listening  to  lec- 
tures on  some  of  the  more  important  practical 
topics  in  political  economy  and  the  science  of 
republican  government,  will  be  told  to  give  in 
writing  the  history  of  the  movement  for  civil 
service  reform  and  an  account  of  the  arguments 
brought  forward  in  favor  of  plans  proposed  to 
further  it  and  in  opposition  to  them,  or  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  proceedings  of  Congress  which  led  tc 
the  formation  of  the  Electoral  Commission  after 
the  last*  presidential  election,  or  of  the  arguments 
used  for  and  against  woman  suffrage. 


1876. 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     $$ 

Another  advanced  class  will  be  required  to 
write  essays  on  such  subjects  as  fermentation 
and  disinfectants. 

Some  of  the  teachers  come  to  the  library,  and 
in  consultation  with  the  librarian  select  large 
numbers  of  books,  more  or  less  closely  connected 
with  the  studies  which  scholars  are  at  the  time 
pursuing,  and  recommend  them  to  pupils  to  read 
in  connection  with  their  lessons  or  for  entertain- 
ment. 

Many  of  the  teachers  consult  the  librarian  in 
regard  to  books  to  be  used  by  them  in  their  own 
preparation  for  class  work. 

Some  teachers  bring  classes  to  the  library  to  see 
illustrations  of  the  architecture  of  Greece  and 
Rome,  or  specimens  of  early  printing  and  illu- 
minations, or  examples  of  the  work  of  great  ar- 
tists. They  are  received  there  in  a  large  room, 
furnished  with  a  table  and  settees,  and  well 
heated  and  lighted.* 

Mr.  Samuel  Thurber,  the  principal  of  the  high 
school,  wrote  in  a  paper  which  is  dated  June  15, 
1879,  as  follows  : 

*  An  account  of  other  experiments  which  have  been  success- 
fully made  since  this  paper  was  written,  to  bring  about  a  close 
connection  between  the  High  School  and  the  Public  Library  in 
Worcester,  may  be  found  at  the  close  of  the  paper  "  Libraries 
as  Educational  Institutions,"  which  immediately  follows  thi? 
article. 


34  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

"  Pupils  of  the  high  school,  in  common  with 
other  citizens  of  Worcester,  are  exceptionally 
favored  in  their  opportunities  for  reading  and 
investigation  in  the  Free  Public  Library.  That 
they  take  advantage  of  these  admirable  facilities 
is  evident  to  any  one  who  sits  for  an  hour  in  the 
afternoon  with  the  librarian,  and  observes  the 
boys  and  girls,  of  all  classes,  who  come  with  their 
questions  concerning  almost  all  matters  in  his- 
tory, science,  and  literature.  The  librarian  and 
his  assistants  must  know  pretty  well  what  is  go- 
ing on  in  the  school.  .  .  .  There  is  a  post-merid- 
ian session  of  the  school  every  day  over  in  Elm 
street.  While  the  regular  teachers  are  hurrying 
and  worrying  with  college  classes,  these  afternoon 
teachers  in  the  other  building  are  patiently  hav- 
ing their  session,  which  does  not  end  at  any  par- 
ticular time,  but  only  when  each  questioner  is 
answered,  or  at  least  shown  how  to  find  his  an- 
swer. We  do  not  see  why  these  Elm-street  folks 
are  not  just  as  much  high-school  teachers  as  those 
who  congregate  each  morning  in  the  great  build- 
ing with  the  tower." 

Again,  under  date  of  April  5,  1880,  Mr.  Thurber 
writes:  "As  an  ally  of  the  high  school,  the  Pub- 
lic Library  is  not  merely  useful ;  it  is  absolutely 
indispensable.  By  this  I  mean  that  without  the 
Library  our  work   would   have   to  be  radically 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     35 

changed  for  the  worse,  and  would  become  little 
better  than  mere  memorizing  of  text-books.  Our 
teachers  and  pupils  throng  the  library,  and  there 
acquire  the  habit  of  investigation,  and  of  inde- 
pendent, well-grounded  opinion  on  a  multitude 
of  subjects  of  the  utmost  importance  to  citizens  in 
a  republican  State.  Without  the  school,  occasion 
for  exploring  the  Library  would  arise  much  less 
frequently ;  and  without  the  Library,  the  desire 
for  knowledge  constantly  awakened  in  the  school 
would  have  to  go  unsatisfied." 

The  teachers  and  scholars  of  the  grammar  and 
some  lower  grades  of  schools  may  derive  great 
advantages  from  the  use  of  facilities  which  it  is 
in  the  power  of  public  libraries  to  afford  them. 
Few  friends  of  education  seem  to  have  found  out, 
however,  that  a  close  connection  between  public 
libraries  and  schools  of  these  grades  is  practicable, 
even  when  they  have  come  to  realize  that  it  is  de- 
sirable. Wishing,  therefore,  to  give  a  practical 
turn  to  this  paper,  I  think  I  cannot  do  better 
than  to  write  out  an  account  of  some  efforts  in 
this  direction  made  in  Worcester  during  the  last 
winter  and  spring.  Four  gentlemen  interested 
in  the  movement — namely,  the  Superintendent  of 
Public  Schools,  a  member  of  the  School  Com- 
mittee, who  was  also  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Directors  of  the  Public  Library,  the  principal  of 


36  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

the  Normal  School,  and  the  librarian  of  the 
Public  Library — came  together  late  in  the  fall  of 
1879,  for  the  purpose  of  considering  whether  it 
was  desirable  and  feasible  to  bring  about  a  con- 
siderable use  for  school  purposes  of  the  books  in 
the  Public  Library,  by  the  teachers  and  pupils 
of  the  schools  of  the  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth 
grades. 

These  gentleman  agreed  that  the  studies  of 
scholars  would  be  made  pleasanter  and  more  pro- 
fitable were  such  use  to  be  made  of  the  Public 
Library. 

They  thought,  also,  that  in  the  event  of  the 
establishment  of  a  close  connection  between  the 
Library  and  these  grades  of  schools,  much  good 
might  be  done  in  guiding  the  home  reading  of 
children  at  an  age  when  the  habits  of  reading  and 
study  are  forming. 

But  an  obstacle  suggested  itself  at  the  start, 
namely,  the  crowded  state  of  the  course  of  study. 
This  was  overcome  by  deciding  to  confine  the  at- 
tention, in  the  beginning,  to  efforts  to  secure  the 
benefits  first  mentioned,  and  even  in  this  direc- 
tion to  aim  only  at  the  gradual  introduction  of 
improved  methods.  The  conclusions  reached 
were  that  it  was  advisable  to  proceed  to  the  im- 
mediate use  of  attractive  library  books  in  the 
study  of  geography,  and  that  in  order  to  get  the 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     37 

additional  time  needed  in  carrying  the  new  plan 
into  execution,  as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing the  exercise  in  reading  more  interesting  and 
useful,  the  reading  of  classes  should  be  largely 
done  from  carefully  selected  books  of  travel  in- 
stead of  from  reading-books.  The  Superintend- 
ent of  Schools  invited  the  librarian  to  lay  the 
plan  proposed  before  the  teachers  in  the  grades  of 
schools  mentioned  above,  and  when  they  had  been 
called  together  he  pointed  out  to  them  that  there 
were  many  things  that  could  be  done  in  schools 
to  better  advantage  than  at  present  were  there  a 
close  connection  between  the  Library  and  the 
schools;  offering  at  the  same  time  to  aid  them 
in  doing  any  good  work  they  might  wish  to  un- 
dertake, but  advising  them  to  try  the  limited  plan 
which  had  been  agreed  upon  at  the  meeting  of 
the  gentlemen  just  mentioned,  whether  they  at- 
tempted anything  else  or  not. 

The  teachers  listened  in  an  interested  manner, 
and  many  of  them  showed  not  only  readiness  but 
anxiety  to  undertake  the  work  it  was  suggested 
they  should  do.  The  librarian  then  invited  them 
to  select  some  country  that  they  would  like  to 
have  illustrated  by  means  of  books  belonging  to 
the  library.  They  selected  one,  and  came  to  the 
Library  building  the  next  half-holiday  to  listen 
to  the  promised  exposition.     The  librarian  had 


38  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

before  him,  say,  one  hundred  volumes  relating  to 
the  country  in  the  description  of  which  aid  was 
to  be  afforded,  and  pointed  out  wherein  the  value 
of  each  one  consisted  to  assist  teachers  and 
scholars  in  studying  geography.  They  saw  at 
once  that  valuable  aid  could  be  had  from  the 
Librar}-  in  their  work  of  teaching,  and  the  next 
step  taken  by  the  librarian  was  to  invite  them  to 
tell  him  what  countries  the  children  were  study- 
ing about  at  that  time,  and  to  keep  him  informed 
in  regard  to  those  they  were  at  work  upon  at 
other  times,  in  order  that  he  might  help  them  to 
pick  out  works  suitable  for  school  use. 

Books  were  at  once  selected  for  the  immediate 
use  of  teachers  and  scholars.  The  teachers 
needed  books  of  travel  and  other  works  to  read 
themselves,  and  from  which  to  select  interesting 
passages  for  children  to  read  in  the  class  or  to  be 
read  to  them,  and  incidents  to  be  related  to  the 
scholars  orally.  Volumes  had  to  be  picked  out, 
too,  for  the  children  to  use  in  the  place  of  read- 
ing-books— books  of  the  right  size,  well  printed, 
freely  illustrated  with  really  good  wood-cuts  or 
engravings  from  metal,  written  in  good  English 
and  adapted  to  the  ages  of  the  children  to  whom 
they  were  to  be  given,  and  calculated  to  interest 
them.  Books  were  also  selected  that  treated  of 
subjects  closely  connected  with  the  lessons,  for 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     39 

children  to  read  by  themselves  in  unoccupied 
hours  in  school,  or  for  entertainment  and  im- 
provement at  home.  The  Library  arranged  to 
issue  two  new  kinds  of  cards,  one  for  the  benefit 
of  teachers,  the  other  to  be  used  by  teachers  for 
the  benefit  of  scholars.  On  cards  of  the  first  kind 
six  books  might  be  taken  out  by  instructors,  to 
be  used  in  preparing  themselves  for  school  work 
or  for  serious  study  in  any  direction.  On  the 
other  kind  of  cards  it  was  permissible  to  take 
out  twelve  volumes,  for  the  use  of  scholars  whose 
reading  teachers  had  undertaken  to  supervise. 
These  cards  it  was  supposed  would  be  used  chiefly 
for  the  benefit  of  such  children  as  were  not  entitled 
by  age  to  have  one  of  the  cards  usually  issued  by 
the  Library,  or  whose  parents  had  neglected  or 
been  unwilling  to  take  out  cards  for  their  use. 
Teachers  were  invited  to  bring  classes  to  the 
Library  to  look  over  costly  collections  of  photo- 
graphs and  engravings  illustrative  of  the  scenery, 
animals,  and  vegetation  of  different  countries,  and 
of  street  views  in  cities. 

A  few  obstacles  were  met  with.  For  instance, 
teachers  wished,  before  adopting  the  new  meth- 
ods in  studying  geography,  to  know  whether  ex- 
aminations at  the  end  of  the  school  term  were  to 
be  on  the  text-book  alone.  They  were  assured 
by  the  proper  officers  that,  if  they  adopted  the 


40  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

system  of  teaching,  examinations  should  be  made 
to  conform  to  it.  It  soon  became  apparent  that 
some  of  the  more  enterprising  teachers,  by  a  skil- 
ful use  of  the  facilities  afforded  at  the  Library, 
got  more  than  their  proper  proportion  of  the 
books  on  a  given  subject  in  which  there  was  an 
interest  felt  in  several  schools  at  once,  and  kept 
books  out  of  the  Library  so  long  as  to  prevent 
other  teachers  from  working  to  advantage.  The 
heads  of  buildings  were  called  together,  and  re- 
moved these  difficulties  by  making  certain  agree- 
ments satisfactory  to  themselves  and  the  librarian, 
in  regard  to  the  time  the  teachers  in  any  one 
building  should  keep  out  books,  and  respecting 
other  pertinent  matters. 

Soon  a  good  start  in  our  work  was  secured  and 
most  of  the  obstacles  disappeared.  More  dupli- 
cates were  needed  than  could  be  supplied  at  once, 
but  by  consultation  and  a  careful  consideration 
of  means  at  our  disposal,  this  difficulty  was 
lessened.  It  will  disappear  altogether  in  time, 
because,  when  a  close  connection  is  established 
between  schools  and  libraries,  the  latter  will  con- 
sider carefully  the  needs  of  the  former,  and  add 
every  year  large  numbers  of  books  on  all  sub- 
jects taught  in  the  schools,  and  of  works  which 
it  is  wholesome  for  children  to  use  in  home  read- 
ing.     As  the  course  of  studies   in   the  schools 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     41 

remains  the  same,  or  nearly  so,  year  by  year,  the 
Library  will  soon  have  on  its  shelves  books 
enough  to  supply  adequately  the  needs  of  teach- 
ers and  scholars. 

One  or  two  general  features  of  the  plan  I  have 
described  should  be  mentioned.  An  earnest 
effort  was  made  to  bring  about  intimate  relations 
between  the  librarian  and  teachers,  so  that  the 
latter  would  feel  free  to  state  all  their  wants  and 
difficulties,  and  the  librarian  have  an  opportunity 
of  finding  out  whatever  is  faulty  in  his  arrange- 
ments and  procedure.  Much  has  been  left  to  the 
judgment  of  individual  teachers.  It  is  always 
important  that  this  should  be  done.  It  seems 
doubly  so  in  a  case  such  as  the  present,  where 
but  few  results  of  experience  are  obtainable. 
Good  results  have  followed  the  movement  in 
Worcester.  One  hundred  and  nineteen*  teachers 
took  out  either  a  teacher's  or  a  pupil's  card 
during  the  four  months  that  elapsed  after  putting 
the  plans  in  execution  before  the  close  of  the 
schools  for  the  summer  vacation.  Seventy-seven 
of  these  teachers  took  out  both  kinds  of  cards. 
All  the  cards  taken  out  have  been  used.  Most 
of  them  have  been  used  constantly,  and  the  num- 


*  There  are  about  200  teachers  of  all  grades  in  the  public 
schools  and,  say,  50  in  private  schools. 


42  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

ber  of  books  given  out  on  them  has  been  large. 
Besides  these,  a  very  large  number  of  books  has 
been  circulated  by  means  of  cards  commonly 
used  in  the  Library,  which  scholars  have  given 
up  to  their  teachers  with  a  request  for  assistance 
in  the  selection  of  books  for  general  reading. 

The  testimony  of  teachers  and  scholars  has 
been  uniformly  to  the  effect  that  the  use  of  books 
from  the  library  has  added  much  to  the  profit- 
ableness and  interest  of  the  exercises  in  reading 
and  geography.  It  has  been  noticed  that  scholars 
enjoy  reading  from  a  well-illustrated  book  of 
travels  {e.g.,  "  Zigzag  Journeys,"  or  Knox's  "Boy 
Travellers  in  the  East "),  and  that  in  its  use  they 
read  understanding^  and  with  increased  expres- 
sion. The  members  of  the  class  when  not  read- 
ing feel  inclined  to  listen,  and,  when  asked,  show 
ability  to  tell  the  teacher  what  others  have  been 
reading  about.  Scholars  break  off  from  the 
reading  lesson,  too,  with  a  desire  for  its  continu- 
ance. Two  ladies  having  charge  of  a  room  in 
one  of  the  grammar-school  buildings  tell  me  that 
they  have  fitted  up  a  dressing-room,  in  which 
they  arrange  on  a  table  illustrated  books  taken 
from  the  Library,  and  that  as  a  reward  for  good 
recitations  one  day  they  allow  scholars  to  go  into 
that  room  the  next  day,  a  dozen  or  so  at  a  time, 
to  gather  around  the  table  to  look  at  the  illustra- 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     43 

tions  and  listen  to  the  teacher's  description  of 
countries  illustrated.  These  teachers  say  that 
lessons  have  been  much  better  learned  since  the 
adoption  of  this  plan  than  before,  and  announce 
that  they  intend  to  teach  geography  largely  in  this 
way  in  future. 

In  doing  the  work  I  have  been  describing,  it 
was  hoped  that,  besides  rendering  study  more 
profitable  and  agreeable  to  children,  they  would 
learn,  incidentally,  that  there  are  many  books 
which  are  interesting  and  yet  not  story  books. 
Teachers  tell  me  this  has  been  the  case.  Two 
in  particular  have  stated  that  boys  who  were  in 
the  habit  of  reading  New  York  story-papers  and 
dime  novels  have  gratefully  received  wholesome 
books  recommended  by  them.  The  books  and 
papers  they  had  been  reading  had  been  thrust 
on  their  attention.  They  knew  of  no  others  that 
are  interesting. 

One  of  these  teachers  says  that  some  of  the 
scholars  reminded  her  of  hungry  men,  unable 
to  get  nourishing  food,  in  seizing  upon  anything 
they  could  lay  hands  on  to  satisfy  a  longing  for 
reading-matter.  One  of  the  grammar-school 
principals,  with  the  aid  of  some  of  his  assistants, 
has  done  a  very  considerable  work  in  influencing 
the  reading  of  his  scholars.  He  has  used  teach- 
ers' and  pupils'  cards  held  in  the  building  under 


44  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

his  charge,  and  in  talking  with  the  scholars  has 
incited  them  to  ask  him  to  take  possession  of 
their  cards  and  help  them  pick  out  books.  Two 
of  his  assistants  have  made  it  a  part  of  their 
work  to  consult  the  catalogues  of  the  Library 
and  printed  and  manuscript  lists  of  books  which 
the  librarian  placed  in  their  hands,  and  in  the 
use  of  these  facilities  and  by  the  aid  of  the  libra- 
rian to  select  large,  numbers  of  books  for  the  use 
of  scholars.  This  principal  sends  to  the  Library 
cards  for  fifty  books  at  a  time.  The  books  are 
taken  to  the  school  and  put  in  the  charge  of  one 
of  the  scholars  who  has  been  made  librarian. 
They  are  looked  over  by  the  teachers,  and  some 
volumes  are  retained  by  them  to  be  used  in  the 
reading  exercise  or  for  silent  reading  in  connec- 
tion with  the  lessons.  Most  of  the  books,  how- 
ever, the  scholars  are  allowed  to  examine  freely, 
with  the  object  of  selecting  from  them  such  as 
they  find  interesting  to  take  away  from  the  build- 
ing to  read  at  home.  It  has  seemed  to  me  that 
this  grammar-school  instructor  and  his  assist- 
ants are  doing  a  very  important  work  for  the 
benefit  of  the  community. 

In  doing  this  kind  of  work  a  special  catalogue 
of,  say,  2000  volumes  is  very  much  needed. 
Such  lists  of  books  which  have  been  issued  in 
Boston  and  elsewhere  for  use  in  schools  as  have 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     45 

come  under  my  notice  are  inadequate.  They  are 
made  up  in  altogether  too  large  a  proportion  of 
books  which,  however  excellent  in  themselves, 
are  only  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  mature  pupils. 
Sufficient  care  is  not  taken  in  them  to  designate 
the  age  of  children  for  which  particular  books 
are  designed.  What  is  wanted  especially  is  a 
selection  of  books  for  children  between  the  ages 
of  eleven  and  fifteen,  every  one  of  which  is 
known  from  actual  perusal  by  competent  persons 
to  be  really  a  good  book,  and  one  adapted  to  the 
capacity  of  young  folks.  I  have  recently  made 
some  efforts  to  have  such  a  catalogue  prepared, 
and  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  state  that  several 
ladies  in  Boston  who  are  very  familiar  with  this 
kind  of  work,  and  the  value  of  whose  labors  has 
already  been  thoroughly  tested,  are  now  engaged 
preparing  such  a  list.*  I  hope  this  can  be  pub- 
lished in  the  course  of  a  few  months.  It  is  in- 
tended to  use  notes  to  show  what  the  contents 
of  a  book  are  when  its  title  does  not  indicate 
them.  Meanwhile,  I  can  only  refer  teachers  to 
such  sources  of  information  as  I  mentioned  in 


*  This  list  has  never  been  published,  but  its  place  is  well 
tilled  by  "  Books  for  the  Young-,"  a  catalogue  prepared  by  Miss 
C.  M.  Hewins,  recently  issued  by  F.  Leypoldt,  31  Park  Row, 
N.  Y. 


46  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

an  essay  on  "  Sensational  Fiction,"  read  before 
the  American  Library  Association  at  its  meeting 
in  the  summer  of  1879  (and  published  subse- 
quently in  the  Library  Journal  and  privately 
printed  in  pamphlet  form),  and  to  librarians  and 
other  persons  who  may  be  supposed  to  have  spe- 
cial information  regarding  books. 

Among  ways  not  before  mentioned  in  which  the 
teachers  of  grammar  and  lower  grades  of  schools 
have  used  the  library  are  the  following:  Some 
have  requested  every  member  of  a  class  to  go  to 
the  library  to  get  information  about  some  of  the 
mountains,  water-falls,  or  mineral  springs  of  the 
United  States,  or  about  other  specified  objects 
to  be  embodied  afterward  in  short  compositions. 
One  teacher  has  adopted  a  plan  which,  as  I  have 
stated,  is  in  use  in  the  high  school,  and  has 
brought  a  class  of  children  to  the  Library  build- 
ing to  look  at  costly  representations  of  the 
scenery,  occupations,  buildings,  costumes,  etc., 
found  in  China  and  Japan.  It  is  customary  with 
some  teachers,  when  the  scholars  are  studying 
American  history,  to  procure  from  the  Library 
graphic  accounts  of  periods  covered  by  the  current 
lessons,  to  lend  to  pupils  to  use  in  the  evening 
in  acquiring  a  more  extended  knowledge  of 
incidents  treated  of  only  briefly  in  the  portion  of 
the  text-book  studied  during  any  particular  day. 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     47 

One  teacher,  whose  school  is  situated  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  Library  building,  asked  a  wealthy- 
citizen  to  buy  for  the  school  a  hundred  or  more 
of  the  books  which  she  most  needed  in  her  work. 
He  complied  with  her  request  at  once,  and  after 
several  consultations  with  the  librarian  she  made 
an  admirable  selection  of  books,  which  were 
bought  for  her  at  the  low  rates  at  which  libraries 
make  purchases. 

Even  in  lower  grades  of  schools  than  the 
seventh,  considerable  assistance  may  be  afforded 
teachers  when  towns  are  enlightened  enough  to 
spend  money  in  providing  in  their  libraries  books 
adapted  to  little  children,  as  well  as  those  suited 
to  older  boys  and  girls  and  persons  who  have 
grown  up.  Several  of  them  have  found  such 
books  as  "Tiny's  Natural  History  in  words  of 
four  letters,"  by  A.  L.  Bond,  and  bound  volumes 
of  the  Nufsery,  as  well  as  stories  such  as  those 
in  Miss  Edgeworth's  "  Parent's  Assistant"  and 
Grimm's  "  Fairy  Tales,"  very  useful  in  doing 
school  work. 

Valuable  suggestions  in  regard  to  work  that 
may  be  done  by  the  cooperation  of  schools  and 
libraries  are  to  be  found  in  a  paper  read  by  Mr. 
William  E.  Foster,  librarian  of  the  Providence 
Public  Library,  before  the  Rhode  Island  Insti- 
tute of    Instruction   last   January,  and    recently 


48  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

published  by  the  institute  in  a  pamphlet  with 
two  other  papers.* 

Of  teachers  in  Boston  who  have  used  the  Pub- 
lic Library  in  that  city  in  connection  with  school 
work,  the  one  whose  use  is  oftenest  mentioned 
is  Mr.  Robert  C.  Metcalf,  master  of  the  Wells 
Grammar  School  for  girls.t  Unless  I  misunder- 
stand a  recent  utterance  of  Mr.  Metcalf,  there  is 
only  one  kind  of  work  that  he  has  found  it  feasi- 
ble to  do  in  connection  with  the  Public  Library 
— namely,  that  of  teaching  children  to  read  at- 
tentively and  with  comprehension  of  what  they 
are  reading.  He  sends  to  the  library  for,  say, 
twenty  copies  of  some  such  publication  asTowle's 
"  Pizarro,"  or  one  of  the  longer  poems  of  Long- 
fellow, has  every  member  of  the  class  read  the 
book  selected  very  carefully,  a  portion  at  a  time, 
and  sets  times  when  he  will  examine  them  on 
the  parts  of  a  book  assigned  for  reading,  to  see 
whether  they  know  just  what  the  author  has 
written,  and  have  studied  his  characteristics  in 
expression. 

This  is  an  excellent  exercise.  Valuable  aid  in 
conducting  it  maybe  found  in  School  Documents 


*  Mr.  Foster's  paper  is  reprinted  in  this  pamphlet, 
t  A  paper  by  Mr.  Metcalf  which  gives  an  account  of  the  work 
he  has  done  in  Boston  may  be  found  in  this  pamphlet. 


PUBLIC     LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     49 

Nos.  17  and  29,  1877,  and  21,  1878,  issued  by  the 
supervisors  of  schools  in  Boston.  If  additional 
evidence  of  the  need  of  it  is  desired,  it  maybe  found 
in  the  record  of  the  results  of  an  examination  of 
the  schools  in  Norfolk  County,  Massachusetts, 
printed  in  the  last  report  of  the  Massachusetts 
Board  of  Education.  It  is  a  matter  for  consid- 
eration, however,  whether  it  is  the  province  of  a 
public  library  to  supply  books  needed  for  this 
exercise.  Judge  Chamberlain,  the  librarian  of 
the  Boston  Public  Library,  gives  reasons  in  his 
last  annual  report  why  they  should  be  furnished 
by  the  library.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may  be 
said  that  school  committees  which  conduct 
schools  with  intelligence  supply  collateral  read- 
ing to  teachers,  and  that  it  is  quite  in  the  line 
of  this  undertaking  to  furnish  books  needed  for 
the  kind  of  work  done  by  Mr.  Metcalf.  There 
should  be  no  quarrel  over  this  matter.  Teach- 
ers should  have  the  books  needed  in  doing  work 
of  this  kind,  whatever  may  be  the  method  it  is 
thought  wise  to  adopt  in  supplying  them  in  any 
>given  town — whether  it  seem  best  to  have  them 
provided  by  the  public  library  or  by  the  school 
committee,  or  to  have  them  bought  with  money 
secured  by  subscription.  Numerous  duplicates 
of  but  a  few  books  are  needed,  since  a  work,  after 
being  studied  in  one  school,  can  be  passed  along 


50  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

to  other  schools  of  the  same  grade  to  be  studied 
in  them,  and  good  books,  suitable  for  the  pur- 
pose mentioned,  are  published  at  the  Clarendon 
press  and  by  American  publishers  at  very  low 
prices.  There  is  a  way,  too,  in  which  some  of 
the  advantages  of  this  kind  of  work  can  be  se- 
cured by  aid  usually  afforded  by  libraries — name- 
ly, by  dividing  a  class  into  groups  of  four  or  five 
members,  and  giving  to  the  scholars  in  each 
group  a  separate  book  to  examine.  Books  and 
magazine  articles  could  be  chosen  that  children 
have  ready  access  to  at  home  as  well  as  in 
libraries.  Some  pupils  would  be  willing  to  buy 
copies  of  inexpensive  books.  That  such  a  plan 
as  this  has  been  followed  with  success,  in  one 
case,  at  least,  is  shown  in  an  article  entitled 
"The  weekly  'reading-hour'  in  a  Providence 
(R.  I.)  school,"  published  in  the  New  England 
Journal  of  Education  for  February  19,  1880. 

Is  it  practicable  to  do  in  large  cities  the  work 
which  it  has  been  shown  has  been  well  begun 
in  a  city  of  58,000  inhabitants?  It  seems  to  me 
easy  to  do  it  there.  But  how  could  we  deal  with 
the  masses  of  men,  women,  and  children  who, 
under  the  plan  proposed,  would  use  libraries  for 
purposes  of  reference  in  large  cities?  Would 
not  the  numbers  of  applicants  for  information 
be  so  great  as  to  forbid  much  consultation  be- 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     5 1 

tween  officers  of  libraries  and  students  and  read- 
ers? No.  In  doing  this  kind  of  work,  deal  with 
inquirers  in  the  branch  libraries  as  well  as  at  the 
central  building. 

The  large  cities  of  England  and  America  have 
found  themselves  best  able  to  fulfil  their  func- 
tions in  the  community  by  establishing  numer- 
ous branch  libraries,  in  a  circle  around  the  cen- 
tral library,  in  different  sections  of  the  territory 
which  they  cover.  A  considerable  portion  of 
the  books  in  the  branch  libraries  should  be  se- 
lected with  especial  reference  to  the  needs  of 
teachers  and  scholars.  Persons  should  be  placed 
at  their  head  who  have  been  chosen  because, 
among  other  qualifications,  they  have  the  ability 
to  render  assistance  in  the  commoner  fields  of 
investigation  to  ordinary  inquirers.  Large  col- 
lections of  books  are  not  needed  in  doing  work 
in  connection  with  schools.  Small  branch  libra- 
ries selected  with  regard  for  their  wants,  when 
supplemented  by  the  resources  of  the  collection 
in  the  main  building,  are  adequate.  In  further- 
ance of  the  work  of  rendering  assistance  to  in- 
quirers among  scholars  and  teachers,  there 
should  be  at  the  central  library  some  man  of 
large  general  acquaintance  with  books  and  of 
zeal  for  the  dissemination  of  knowledge,  to  whom 
teachers   and   others    in    search   of   information 


52  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

may  have  ready  access  when  in  search  of  knowl- 
edge regarding  any  subject  they  are  interested 
in.  He  should  have  as  many  assistants  as  are 
necessary  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  inquirers. 
With  such  a  head  and  a  sufficient  number  of 
assistants  in  the  central  library,  and  with  compe- 
tent heads  of  branches,  it  is  perfectly  feasible  to 
do  this  kind  of  work  in  connection  with  schools. 
Ordinary  applications  for  information  would  be 
met  at  the  branches,  and  difficult  questions 
would  have  to  be  answered  at  the  central  library 
by  the  presentation  of  the  inquirer  there  in  per- 
son, or  by  conversation  through  telephones  con- 
necting branches  with  the  principal  building. 
Nor  need  such  service  be  very  expensive.  The 
officer  having  charge  of  this  kind  of  work  should 
be  a  cultivated  man  of  somewhat  exceptional 
qualifications,  whose  abilities  and  attainments 
command  compensation  equal,  say,  to  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  high  school.  It  is  easy,  I  know  from 
experience,  to  train  intelligent  women  who  have 
had  only  a  high-school  education,  but  who  have 
some  interest  in  books,  and  pleasant  manners,  to 
do  the  ordinary  work  required  in  pointing  out 
sources  of  information.  Questions  of  teachers 
and  scholars  recur,  and  having  once  been  an- 
swered by  the  chief,  can  be  answered  afterward 
by  his  assistants. 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     53 

It  seems  to  me  practicable  to  do  even  more  of 
this  kind  of  work  in  large  cities,  and  to  be  per- 
fectly feasible  to  invite  the  public  generally  to 
come  to  public  libraries,  every  person  with  any 
question  he  may  wish  to  ask  that  books  will  an- 
swer, for  the  purpose  of  having  the  best  source 
of  information  adapted  to  his  needs  and  capacity 
pointed  out  to  him  and  placed  in  his  hands. 
The  number  of  inquirers  will  not  be  so  great  as 
to  become  unmanageable  and  swamp  the  facili- 
ties of  libraries,  but  it  will  be  large,  and,  increas- 
ing gradually,  will  have  to  be  met  by  a  gradually 
increasing  force  of  assistants.  I  make  these 
statements  of  my  convictions  after  careful  con- 
sideration of  the  subject,  and  after  ten  years  of 
experience  in  conducting  a  library,  with  no  mean 
success,  on  the  plan  recommended.  The  aim, 
bear  in  mind,  is  not  to  provide  information  to 
specialists,  but  to  help  people  generally  to  get 
answers  to  questions  which  they  feel  interested 
in  having  answered. 

I  see  no  reason  why,  in  doing  this  kind  of 
work,  a  library  in  a  large  place  could  not,  with 
very  little  difficulty,  get  great  assistance  from 
gentlemen  outside  of  the  corps  of  officers.  Take 
Boston  as  an  example.  How  easy  it  would  be 
to  interest  a  large  number  of  the  professors  in 
the  colleges  and  other  educational  institutions 


54  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

in  and  near  the  city,  and  specialists  in  different 
departments  of  knowledge  in  professional  life  or 
leading  a  life  of  study  in  comparative  leisure,  to 
allow  questions  to  be  put  to  them  occasionally 
in  regard  to  what  book  or  books  should  be  given 
to  an  inquirer,  when  the  general  knowledge  of 
the  officers  of  the  library,  with  bibliographies  at 
their  command,  fails.  Treat  these  gentlemen  as 
men  to  whom  you  are  indebted,  and  afford  them 
graciously  every  privilege  that  can  possibly  be. 
granted  to  students,  and  let  them  feel  that  they 
are  an  important  factor  in  the  management  of 
the  library,  and  I  am  sure  that,  leaving  out  the 
very  selfish  men  who  are  found  among  scholars 
as  well  as  among  men  in  other  occupations  than 
stud)'-,  a  large  corps  of  voluntary  assistants  could 
be  found  ready  to  render  the  small  amount  of 
gratuitous  service  needed  of  them,  in  considera- 
tion of  the  consciousness  that  they  were  confer- 
ring a  public  benefit.  Of  course,  tact  would  have 
to  be  used  at  the  library,  and  no  unnecessary 
labor  should  be  put  on  these  men,  and  it  should 
be  without  expense  to  them.  The  large  libraries 
need  and  can  have  more  co-operation  in  the 
selection  of  books  and  in  the  dissemination  of 
knowledge.  Are  there  not  numbers  of  young 
specialists  in  large  cities,  and  men  of  maturer 
years,  who  would  delight  to  co-operate  with  the 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.     55 

officers  of  a  great  library  in  making  the  institu- 
tion an  exchange  for  information,  a  great  edu- 
cational institution,  a  university  for  the  people? 
Would  not  scholars  at  a  distance  allow  them- 
selves to  be  consulted  occasionally  for  the  bene- 
fit of  inquirers,  in  consideration  of  the  privilege 
of  occasionally  asking  themselves  to  have  little 
investigations  made,  and  in  return  for  infrequent 
loans  of  books? 

One  word  in  regard  to  libraries  in  small  towns, 
and  I  close.  In  such  places,  persons  interested 
in  the  schools  are  likely  to  feel  an  interest  in  the 
town  library,  and  to  be  officially  connected  with 
it.  School-committee  men  and  teachers  in  small 
towns  should  see  to  it  that  a  portion  of  the 
money  appropriated  in  town  meeting  for  the  use 
of  the  library  is  spent  for  books  that  teachers 
and  scholars  need  to  consult  and  use. 


LIBRARIES  AS  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITU-. 
TIONS. 

By  S.  S.  Green. 

The  first  thing  a  library  has  to  do,  if  it  wishes 
to  exert  a  beneficial  educational  influence,  is  to 
see  to  it  that  the  selection  of  its  books  is  care- 
fully made  by  competent  persons. 

In  buying  additions,  substantial  aid  may  be 
had  by  consulting  the  annotated  lists  of  books 
purchased,  from  time  to  time,  by  some  of  the 
larger  libraries,  and  the  Library  Purchase  Lists 
which,  prepared  by  Mr.  Cutter  of  the  Boston 
Athenaeum,  have  appeared  in  successive  numbers 
of  the  Library  Journal,  beginning  with  Vol.  6, 
No.  i. 

Among  valuable  lists  with  notes  now  issued, 
which  it  will  be  well  for  smaller  libraries  to  make 
use  of,  are  the  bulletins  of  the  Hartford  Library 
Association  and  the  Boston  Public  Library,  and 
the  lists  of  additions  to  the  Boston  Athenaeum, 
the  Free  Public  Library  of  Worcester,  Massachu- 
setts, and  the  Young  Men's  Library  of  Buffalo. 

Librarians  may  also  make  the  card-catalogues 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  57 

of  their  libraries  more  useful  to  readers  by  sub- 
scribing to  publications  such  as  these,  cutting  out 
some  of  the  notes  and  pasting  them  on  the  cards. 

It  may  not  be  amiss  to  remind  managers  of 
small  libraries  that  the  best  sort  of  information 
regarding  books  may  be  obtained  by  reading 
the  book-notices  of  such  papers  as  The  Literary 
World,  the  New  York  Evening  Post,  or  its  weekly 
issue,  The  Nation,  and  The  Critic,  in  the  United 
States,  and  the  Academy  and  the  Athenaeum,  in 
London.* 

In  order  to  make  libraries,  in  which  readers 
are  admitted  to  the  shelves,  attractive,  the  books 
must  be  well  arranged,  and  care  should  be  taken 
to  make  the  plans  of  arrangement  known. 

A  decided  influence  in  behalf  of  the  educaLion 
of  the  community  may  be  exerted  by  making 
large  numbers  of  reference-books,  such  as  En- 
cyclopaedias, Biographical  Dictionaries,  Diction- 
aries of  Mechanics,  etc.,  accessible  to  readers. 

It  is  important  also  to  provide  quiet  study- 
rooms  for  really  studious  persons. 

Knowledge  of  the  progress  that  has  been  made 


*  "  The  American  Catalogue,1'  "Publishers'  Trade  List  An- 
nual," "Publishers'  Weekly"  and  "  Literary  News"  for  Ameri- 
can ;  and  the  "  English  Catalogue,"  "  Publishers'  Circular"  and 
"  Bookseller"  for  English  Books,  give  great  assistance  to  librari- 
ans and  other  teachers,  and  in  large  libraries  are  indispensable. 


58  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

during  the  past  year  in  improving  plans  for  the 
arrangement  of  books,  for  the  indication  of  the 
arrangement,  and  for  facilitating  in  other  ways 
the  use  of  libraries  by  students  and  readers,  may 
best  be  obtained  by  reading  the  numbers  of  the 
Library  Journal  issued  during  the  year,  and  the 
reports  of  the  most  enterprising  librarians. 

"  How  to  Use  the  Reading-room,"  is  a  useful 
little  publication,  prepared  by  W.  E.  Foster,  for 
use  in  the  Providence  Public  Library. 

"  Suggestions  to  Students,"  printed  for  the 
benefit  of  pupils  in  the  Edinboro'  State  Normal 
School,  Pennsylvania,  may  be  found  on  page  160 
of  Vol.  6  of  the  Library  Journal. 

The  Thomas  Crane  Public  Library,  of  Ouincy, 
Massachusetts,  has  issued  two  Children's  Book 
Lists,  one  containing  books  under  the  heads 
Fiction,  Fairy  Tales,  and  Historical  Fiction  ;  the 
other,  books  under  the  heads  Biography,  History, 
Science  and  Natural  History,  Travel  and  Adven- 
ture, Miscellaneous.  The  lists  are  intended  to 
be  short,  containing,  both  together,  only  a  few 
hundred  volumes.  The  second  list  seems  mea- 
gre, but  both  must  be  useful,  although  not  above 
criticism  as  regards  the  selection  of  books  appear- 
ing in  them. 

In  response  to  an  application  made  by  me  to 
Mr.  Charles  Francis  Adams,  Jr.,  for  information 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  59 

regarding  the  results  which  have  followed  the 
use  of  the  Children's  Lists,  he  has  caused  a  copy 
of  a  recently  issued  report  of  the  School  Com- 
mittee of  the  town  of  Ouincy  to  be  sent  to  me. 
I  make  the  following  extract  from  this  docu- 
ment: "The  liberal  appropriation  for  books  and 
stationery,  last  year,  has  supplied  us  with  means 
sufficient  to  add  much  good  reading-matter  to 
our  stock  ;  and,  in  addition  to  this,  a  set  of  en- 
cyclopaedias has  been  placed  in  each  building. 
The  children  are  making  much  use  of  these  as 
books  of  reference,  and  are  daily  learning  not  to 
rely  upon  other  persons  for  information  which 
they  can  find  out  for  themselves.  Our  home- 
reading  has  been  greatly  facilitated  by  the  pre- 
paration of  the  Children's  Book  Lists,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Thomas  Crane 
Public  Library.  Of  these  lists  two  numbers  have 
already  appeared,  and  others  are  to  follow.  Many 
of  these  books  have  been  on  trial  in  our  schools, 
as  in  the  preparation  of  the  lists  all  teachers  were 
requested  to  furnish  the  names  of  those  books 
that  have  been  proved  to  be  interesting  and  in- 
structive. Facts  are  continually  presenting  them- 
selves which  prove  that  the  connection  between 
the  Public  Library  and  the  Public  Schools  is 
gradually  growing  stronger  and  stronger,  which 
must  be  especially  gratifying  to  all  interested  in 


60  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

the  education  of  the  young.  In  this  connection  it 
maybe  said  that  the  trustees  have  indicated  their 
desire  to  do  all  that  lies  in  their  power  to  aid  the 
schools,  and  have  expressed  their  willingness  to 
place  in  the  library,  for  the  use  of  teachers,  Bar- 
nard's Journal  of  Education,  inthirty  volumes, 
which  is  a  complete  cyclopaedia  of  educational 
literature.  It  would  seem  that  the  school  depart- 
ment should  do  as  much  at  least  as  the  trustees  to 
increase  the  professional  knowledge  of  its  teachers. 
Much  study  upon  the  history,  theory,  and  practice 
of  education  is  necessary  on  the  part  of  teachers, 
in  order  that  mistakes  may  be  avoided  and  the 
best  results  obtained  ;  yet  it  is  manifest  that  a 
teacher,  on  a  salary  of  four  hundred  dollars  or 
less,  will  have  little  left,  after  defraying  expenses, 
to  invest  in  books  of  any  kind.  Permit  me  to 
suggest  that  a  small  sum  of  money  be  invested 
under  your  direction,  so  that  a  few  of  the  best 
works  on  education  may  be  placed  in  the  Public 
Library  beside  the  books  furnished  by  the  Trus- 
tees, thus  forming  a  nucleus  around  which,  in  the 
future,  may  be  gathered  all  of  those  books  that 
would  be  useful  to  teachers." 

Mr.  J.  N.  Larned,  of  Buffalo,  has  issued  during 
the  year  a  catalogue  of  books  in  the  Young  Men's 
Library  suited  to  young  persons,  indicating  in  it 
such  books  as  he  knows  to  be  wholesome.      He 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  6 1 

writes  me  as  follows,  in  reply  to  inquiries  of  mine  : 
"  I  think  our  little  catalogue  of  Books  for  Young- 
Readers  has  had,  and  is  having,  considerable  in- 
fluence on  the  reading  of  young  people  in  this 
library.  I  have  had  testimony  to  that  effect  from 
a  good  many  parents  and  teachers  who  are  sys- 
tematically using  it,  and  who  have  been  prompted 
to  exercise  more  supervision  over,  and  guidance 
of,  the  reading  of  their  children  by  the  help 
which  this  little  book  gives  them.  The  boys  and 
girls  themselves  seem  to  value  it.  That  the  books 
recommended  in  the  catalogue  are  much  more 
in  use  than  they  formerly  were  is  a  fact  which 
the  assistants  in  the  library  say  is  very  noticeable. 
Many  good  books  that  had  fallen  into  neglect, 
and  were  always  catching  dust  on  the  shelves, 
are  now  in  lively  demand,  and  going  and  coming 
like  the  newest  ones. 

"  I  am  satisfied  that  the  results  will  more  than 
repay  the  labor  of  preparing  the  list,  and  would, 
indeed,  more  than  repay  a  much  larger  under- 
taking in  the  same  direction." 

Mr.  Larned  published  a  large  enough  edition  of 
his  catalogue  to  enable  him  to  sell  copies  to  other 
libraries.* 

*  Since  this  paper  was  written,  a  Catalogue  of  Books  for  the 
Young  has  been  prepared  by  Miss  C.  M.  Hevvins,  Librarian  of 
the   Hartford  Library  Association,  which,  without  disparage- 


62  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

In  Indianapolis  the  Library  Committee  of  the 
Public  Library  selected  fourteen  volumes  for  a 
small  reference  library,  which  the  School  Board 
of  that  city  has  placed  in  the  schools. 

School  libraries  have  been  formed  in  Provi- 
dence. Mr.  Foster  writes,  in  his  third  report, 
"  That  these  '  branch  '  collections,  as  they  may 
appropriately  be  considered,  are  so  administered 
as  to  be  used  under  peculiarly  favorable  circum- 
stances, for  they  circulate  under  the  teacher"s 
own  eye,  giving  him  an  opportunity  for  judi- 
ciously following  up  the  use  of  each  book  by 
the  most  effective  suggestions,  instructions,  and 
supervision." 

Some  of  the  schools  in  Worcester  have  libra- 
ries ;  a  few,  large  libraries,  and  it  has  been  the 
practice  of  the  School  Board  to  buy  a  few  ref- 
erence books  for  use  in  every  school  building. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  library  in  Worcester 
to  allow  every  teacher  who  wishes,  to  take  out 
eighteen  books  for  school  uses  ;  and  some  of  the 


ment  of  other  lists  of  books  for  children  hitherto  issued,  may  be 
said  to  be  thoroughly  good,  and  by  far  the  best  list  for  general 
purposes  yet  printed.  It  is  published  by  F.  Leypoldt,  31  and 
32  Park  Row,  New  York.  A  department  for  the  consideration 
of  juvenile  and  educational  literature  under  the  charge  of  Miss 
Hewins  has  just  been  introduced  into  the  Library  Journal,  be- 
ginning with  the  February  number  1883.— S.  S.  G. 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  63 

instructors,  availing  themselves  of  this  privilege, 
and  making  use  of  cards  held  by  scholars  also, 
have  out  fifty  volumes  at  a  time.  These  books 
are  selected  from  the  catalogues  of  the  library,  and 
from  manuscript  lists  of  choice  books  kept  in  the 
librarian's  room.  They  can  be  changed  as  often 
as  desired.  The  practice  of  this  library  is  to  buy 
a  number  of  duplicates  of  really  good  books,  and 
to  supply  the  demand  for  them. 

Mr.  Foster,  of  Providence,  has  continued  to 
publish,  during  the  year,  his  monthly  Reference 
Lists.  Many  of  us  subscribe  for  these,  and  we 
all  value  them  highly. 

He  has  also  continued  to  send  weekly  lists  of 
books  on  current  topics  of  interest  to  two  of  the 
Providence  papers,  and  to  supply  to  readers  in 
his  library  daily  a  list  of  books  on  subjects  of 
present  inquiry. 

Mr.  Foster  also  provides  lists  of  books  for  the 
use  of  students  in  Brown  University,  in  connec- 
tion with  subjects  which  they  have  to  investigate. 

Librarians  in  Baltimore  and  Providence  have 
even  gone  so  far,  in  one  instance  in  each  city,  in 
supplying  the  wants  of  the  community,  as  to  dis- 
tribute a  bibliography  of  the  subject  of  a  lecture 
among  the  auditors. 

To  such  persons  as  have  not  yet  availed  them- 
selves of  the  results  of  Mr.  Foster's  labors  I  wish 


64  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

to  say,  that  no  library  can  well  get  along,  if  it 
wishes  to  do  an  educational  work,  without  hav- 
ing in  hand  the  monthly  Reference  Lists.* 

Mr.  Foster  is  deserving  of  the  highest  praise, 
both  for  the  amount  and  the  excellence  of  his 
work.  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  his  efforts 
in  "  practical  bibliography"  have  the  purpose  of 
meeting  an  immediate  need,  and  are  intended 
only  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  occasion, 
and  not  to  be  exhaustive  bibliographies  of  sub- 
jects adapted  to  the  wants  of  profound  investi- 
gation. 

Prof.  Winsor  continues  to  supply  lists  of  books, 
pamphlets,  and  articles  bearing  on  the  subjects  of 
themes  and  discussions  which  students  in  Har- 
vard University  have  to  prepare  for.  These  are 
not  printed,  however. 

In  a  paper  read  before  this  association  at  Phil- 
adelphia, in  1876,  on  Personal  Relations  between 
Librarians  and  Readers,  I  wrote :  "  Place  in  the 
Circulating  department  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished persons  in  the  corps  of  your  assistants. 
.  .  .  Instruct  this  assistant  to  consult  with  even- 
person  who  asks  for  help  in  selecting  books." 

The  Boston  Public  Library  has  recently  tried 


*  See  table  of  contents  of    the-  volumes  of  these  lists  already 
issued,  in  the  publisher's  appendix. 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  65 

the  plan  here  recommended,  and  with  the  happi- 
est results,  in  raising  the  character  of  the  reading 
of  persons  frequenting  the  lower  hall  of  that  in- 
stitution, that  is,  the  portion  of  the  building 
which  contains  the  more  popular  books  that  are 
given  out  for  home  use. 

For  particulars  regarding  this  interesting  work, 
I  refer  you  to  recent  reports  of  the  librarian  of 
the  Boston  Public  Library. 

A  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Free  Public 
Library  of  Worcester  for  the  last  eleven  or 
twelve  years  has  been,  that  it  has  cordially  in- 
vited all  inquirers,  whatever  their  age  or  position, 
to  come  to  the  reference  library  and  propound 
their  questions,  assured  that  as  much  time  as  is 
necessary  will  be  taken  in  every  case  to  satisfy 
their  inquiries,  if  answers  to  them  can  be  found 
in  books.  This  work  grows  in  importance  every 
year.  Instead  of  having  a  reference  library  that 
is  not  used  at  all,  as  was  the  case  twelve  years 
ago,  there  began  to  be  a  large  use  of  books  at- 
once  under  the  new  system,  and  there  has  been 
a  great  increase  in  its  use  every  year  since.  Last 
year  we  gave  out  to  inquirers,  to  use  in  seri- 
ous investigations  within  the  library  building, 
42,000  volumes,  in  addition  to  such  works  as  they 
helped  themselves  to  from  unusually  well-supplied 
shelves  of  reference  books,  to  which  access  is 


66  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

allowed  without  obtaining  permission.  I  have  no 
doubt  this  use  will  be  increased  5,000  volumes 
the  current  year.  Questions  that  are  put  to  us 
at  the  library  are,  I  believe,  almost  invariablv 
answered  ;  but  much  time  is,  of  course,  taken  in 
answering  them,  and  many  books  have  to  be 
bought  or  borrowed  in  carrying  on  the  work. 

I  have  no  doubt  that,  in  its  extent  and  variety, 
we  are  doing  a  work  in  Worcester  that  is  unique. 

I  should  like,  to  take  a  single  branch  of  the 
work,  to  speak  of  the  close  connection  that  has 
been  brought  about  between  the  library  and  the 
industries  of  the  city,  and  to  show  what  is  being 
done  to  advance  their  interests  and  to  spread 
technical  knowledge  among  workmen  ;  but  a 
paper  would  be  needed  to  treat  of  this  subject, 
and  its  full  treatment  would  be  out  of  place  in  a 
report  such  as  this. 

There  is  in  our  building,  as  I  stated  at  the 
Washington  meeting  of  this  Association,  a  hall, 
warmed  and  lighted,  and  furnished  with  tables, 
chairs,  and  settees,  in  which  the  officers  of  the 
library  can  meet  the  teachers  of  the  public 
schools,  to  confer  with  them  on  work  which  the 
schools  and  the  library  are  doing  together, 
classes  from  the  schools  and  societies  which  de- 
sire the  benefits  which  come  from  looking  at 
costly  illustrated  works,  and  in  which  clubs  and 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  67 

associations  can  hold  meetings  when  costly  books 
and  plates  are  required  for  purposes  of  instruc- 
tion and  entertainment.  This  hall  has  been  much 
used  the  past  year. 

For  example,  the  Women's  Club  listened  here 
to  a  lecture  by  one  of  its  number,  illustrated  by 
works  in  the  library,  on  Eastern  Antiquities.  A 
class  from  one  of  the  grammar  schools,  whose 
members  had  become  interested  in  Armor  and  in 
deeds  of  Chivalry,  were  brought  by  their  teacher 
to  the  library  and  shown  Myrick's  Ancient  Ar- 
mour and  Le  Croix's  books  on  the  Middle  Ages. 

A  class  came  from  the  High  School  to  look  at 
the  great  work  of  the  Piranesis  on  Roman  Ar- 
chitecture and  Antiquities. 

Soon  after  Christmas  I  sent  notices  to  the 
teachers  in  several  grades  of  the  public  schools, 
that,  between  certain  hours  on  a  specifiedWednes- 
day  afternoon,  I  would  have  on  exhibition  two 
hundred  or  more  recently  issued  books  that,  it 
seemed  to  me,  would  help  the  teachers  in  their 
work.  They  came  to  the  library  in  large  num- 
bers, and  spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  examining 
the  books. 

The  Art  Society  has  had  a  meeting  at  the 
library,  in  which  one  of  its  number  gave  an  ac- 
count of  the  history  and  purposes  of  the  Arundel 
Society  ;  another,  a  description  of  the  processes  of 


68  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

chromo-lithography  ;  and  still  other  members  ex- 
plained to  the  company,  broken  up  into  groups, 
the  publications  of  the  Society,  which  had  been 
arranged  by  a  committee  on  curtains  hung  about 
the  rooms,  or,  when  bound,  on  easels  and  tables. 

As  soon  as  I  return  home,  a  class  connected 
with  one  of  the  churches  in  Worcester,  which 
has  lately  been  making  a  stay-at-home  tour 
through  England,  is  coming  to  the  library  for 
an  evening  to  look  at  representations  of  scenes 
and  objects  of  interest  in  Stratford-on-Avon, 
and  pictures  of  Kenilworth,  Warwick  Castle,  etc. 

The  library  in  Worcester  was  a  pioneer  in  do- 
ing work  in  connection  with  schools.  There 
have  always  been  the  most  friendly  relations 
between  the  Superintendent  of  Schools,  the 
teachers,  and  the  officers  of  the  library,  and  our 
collection  of  books  has  been  freely  used  by 
teachers  and  scholars  of  the  higher  grades  of  the 
public  and  private  schools  in  which  Worcester 
abounds,  since  the  introduction  into  the  library, 
eleven  or  twelve  years  ago,  of  the  system  now 
prevailing. 

An  account  of  the  manner  in  which  we  brought 
about  closer  relations  between  the  library  and 
the  7th,  8th,  9th,  and  some  lower  grades  of  the 
public  schools,  was  given  in  a  paper  which  I  read 
at  a  meeting  of  the  American   Social   Science 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  69 

Association,  held  in  Saratoga  a  year  ago  last  Sep- 
tember. 

All  that  it  is  necessary  to  say  here  in  regard  to 
this  matter  is,  that  the  work  described  in  that 
paper  is  still  carried  on,  and  that  much  aid  con- 
tinues to  be  afforded  by  the  library  in  the  study 
of  geography,  in  helping  the  scholars  to  make 
little  investigations,  and  in  making  the  reading- 
lesson  interesting. 

The  principal  development  of  the  work  among 
these  lower  grades  of  schools  has  been  in  the  in- 
creased use  of  the  library  by  teachers  for  taking 
out  books  for  the  use  of  scholars  needed  in  the 
work  which  they  are  doing,  in  trying  to  substitute 
wholesome  reading  for  that  which  is  a  waste  of 
time. 

Some  interesting  new  connections  have  been 
made  with  the  High  School  the  past  year. 

Squads  of  boys  and  girls  now  come  to  the 
library  from  this  school  during  school  hours. 
The  plan  is  working  well.  The  teacher  in  his- 
tory, who  has  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  schol- 
ars studying  Greek  and  Roman  History  under 
her  charge,  is,  by  my  advice,  sending  all  of  these 
scholars  to  the  library,  in  parties  of  ten  each,  to 
look  at  illustrations  of  Greek  and  Roman  anti- 
quities. I  show  them  such  works  as  "  Falke's 
Greece  and  Rome:  their  Life  and  Art,"  translated 


70  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

by  our  associate,  William  Hand  Browne,  of  the 
Johns  Hopkins  University  Library  ;  "  Stuart  and 
Revett's  Antiquities  of  Athens,"  "Parker's  Archae- 
ology of  Rome,"  "  Wey's  Rome,"  "Josef  Langl's 
Denkmiiler  der  Kunst.  Bilder  zur  Geschichte 
vorzugsweise  fur  Mittelschulen  und  verwandte 
Lehranstalten,"  which  is  being  published  in 
Vienna,  and  give  them,  for  additional  descriptive 
matter,  such  books  as  "  Mahaffy's  Old  Greek 
Life"  and  "  Wilkins's  Life  of  the  Romans,"  two 
volumes  of  the  series  of  History  Primers,  "Ma- 
haffy's Old  Greek  Education,"  "  Guhl  &  Koner's 
Life  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,"  "  Smith's  Dic- 
tionary of  Antiquities,"  "  The  Encyclopaedia  Bri- 
tannica,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  object  of  this  method  of  study  is,  of  course, 
to  aid  the  imagination  of  pupils,  and  to  make 
real  to  them  whatever  they  read  and  study  about. 
Thus,  for  example,  they  are  shown  a  picture  of 
the  Forum  as  it  is  to-day,  perhaps  also  a  picture 
of  it  as  it  appeared  in  the  last  century,  when  the 
Piranesis  represented  it,  before  the  excavations 
of  later  years  had  been  made;  and  a  picture  of 
the  Forum  as  it  was  in  the  times  of  Cicero,  re- 
constructed according  to  the  directions  of  com- 
petent scholars,  as  given  in  the  work  of  Falke 
and  elsewhere.  So,  too,  views  are  given  of  the 
remains  of  the  Parthenon  and  a  reoresentation  of 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  J I 

this  vast  pile  of  buildings  as  it  appeared  in  the 
days  of  its  glory. 

Pictures  are  6hown,  too,  of  the  dress  and 
houses  and  domestic  utensils  of  the  Greeks  and 
Romans. 

The  scholars  are  required  to  write  out  an  ac- 
count of  different  objects  which  they  see  pic- 
torially  represented.  The  teacher  who  is  con- 
ducting this  exercise  also  has  her  scholars  review 
history  by  topics,  and  sends  them  to  the  library, 
where  the  proper  books  are  given  them  for  pur- 
suing their  investigations. 

Every  member  of  her  class  is  engaged  to-day 
in  preparing  an  elaborate  essay  descriptive  of 
some  class  of  objects, — Basilicas,  the  Catacombs, 
Baths,  Theatres,  and  Amphitheatres,  the  dress  of 
the  Greeks  and  Romans,  or  of  Greek  and  Roman 
educational  facilities,  or  concerning  Greek  heroes. 

Work  similar  to  that  done  by  Mr.  Metcalf  and 
other  teachers  in  schools  in  Boston  is  done  in 
the  High  School  in  Worcester;  but,  while  the 
Public  Library  in  Boston  supplies  the  books 
needed,  the  pupils  themselves  are  required  with 
us  to  furnish  the  volumes  studied. 

It  is  intended  to  give  the  pupils  as  good  a 
knowledge  of  Bryant,  Irving,  Longfellow,  and 
Hawthorne,  as  can  be  obtained  in  a  course  ex- 
tending  over   two   years,  every   scholar   in  the 


72  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

High  School  being  engaged  for  six  months  in 
studying  each  one  of  these  authors. 

Much  work  has  to  be  done  at  the  library,  in 
connection  with  this  study  of  American  literature. 
Allusions  have  to  be  looked  up,  for  example.  An 
interest  developed  in  the  Alhambra  of  Irving 
leads  to  the  desire  of  seeing  such  representations 
of  the  remains  of  Moorish  architecture,  and  par- 
ticularly such  remains  of  the  Alhambra  as  the 
library  possesses. 

The  principal  of  the  High  School  came  to  me 
a  few  months  since  and  stated  to  me  that  he 
was  dissatisfied  with  one  feature  of  the  English 
course  of  study,  and  wished  to  substitute  some- 
thing in  the  place  of  book-keeping  for  a  portion 
of  the  class.  He  had  received  permission  from 
the  Superintendent  of  Schools  to  talk  the  matter 
over  with  me  and  arrange  some  new  exercise 
agreeable  to  him,  if  the  library  could  aid  him. 
We  considered  the  matter  carefully,  and  con- 
cluded that,  as  the  scholars  were  studying  Greek 
history,  it  would  be  well  to  give  them  a  taste  of 
Greek  literature.  We  formed  this  plan  :  I,  having 
the  power  to  buy  duplicates,  agreed  to  furnish 
six  copies  of  each  of  the  two  little  volumes  in  the 
series  of  ancient  classics  for  English  readers  about 
Homer,  namely,  one  on  the  Iliad,  and  one  on  the 
Odyssey,  and  six  copies  each  of  good  translations 


LIBRARIES    AS    EDUCATORS.  73 

of  the  poems  of  the  Iliad  and  Odyssey.  The 
members  of  the  class  would  never  have  the  op- 
portunity of  becoming  acquainted  with  Homer 
in  Greek,  and  as  young  people  enjoy  reading  his 
poems  when  their  attention  is  fixed  upon  them, 
the  experiment  seemed  worth  trying.  The  class 
has  gone  through  the  little  books,  which  were  in- 
tended to  give  the  members  a  preliminary  gene- 
ral knowledge  of  the  story  of  the  poems  before 
attacking  the  big  books  which  contain  Homer's 
writings  themselves,  and  are  now  at  work  on  the 
Iliad  and  Odyssey  themselves.  The  teacher  in 
charge  tells  me  the  plan  has  proved  successful, 
and  that  the  class  is  enjoying  a  very  pleasant  and 
profitable  exercise. 


THE  PUBLIC    LIBRARY  AS   AN  AUXILIARY 
TO  THE  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS. 

By  R.  C.  Metcalf. 

For  a  long  time  the  public  library  has  been 
looked  upon  by  teachers  as  an  enemy  of  the 
public  schools.  We  have  valiantly  fought  against 
the  surreptitious  introduction  of  light  literature 
within  the  sacred  walls  of  the  school-room.  We 
have  confiscated  dime  novels,  and  turned  deaf 
ears  to  juvenile  appeals  for  mercy  when  "  The 
Last  of  the  Mohicans,"  or  "  Robinson  Crusoe," 
was  found  innocently  lining  the  geography  or 
arithmetic.  We  have  coaxed,  we  have  scolded, 
we  have  advised,  and  yet  the  library  would  give 
us  odds  and  beat  us  every  time. 

Neither  figures  of  rhetoric,  nor  problems  in 
arithmetic,  could  hold  their  own  against  Indians 
and.  pirates  with  the  boys,  nor  could  the  charms 
of  geography,  or  the  blandishments  of  grammar, 
withstand  the  touching  story  of  "  Maidens  all 
forlorn,  once  more  made  glad,"  with  the  average 
girl  of  a  Yankee  school-room.     "  What  can't  be 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    75 

cured  must  be  endured,"  became  our  motto, 
until  endurance  ceased  to  be  a  virtue,  and  we  re- 
solved to  fight  the  educational  battle  with  weap- 
ons borrowed  from  the  public  library. 

Knowing  that  boys  and  girls  like  reading 
above  almost  all  things  else,  we  determined  that 
reading  must  be  made  to  help,  and  not  to  hinder, 
our  school  work.  Books  of  travel  would  re- 
enforce  our  teaching  of  geography.  Books  of 
travel  must,  then,  be  brought  into  the  school- 
room, and  not  kept  out.  Historical  stories 
would  illustrate  history,  and  so  historical  stories 
must  be  made  to  contribute  according  to  their 
means.  Language  could  be  better  taught  by  its 
use  than  by  the  study  of  its  rules  and  exceptions, 
and  so  the  story  that  had  been  read  was  repro- 
duced by  the  pupil  in  the  class-room,  and  judi- 
ciously combined  with  these  same  rules  and  ex- 
ceptions. 

Considerations  like  these  led  to  a  somewhat 
careful  study  of  the  whole  subject  of  general 
reading,  and  now  I  propose,  as  briefly  as  pos- 
sible, to  state  the  results  of  that  study,  only 
premising  that  my  conclusions  to-day  are  some- 
what different  from  the  conclusions  of  one  year 
ago,  and  very  likely  my  opinions  twelve  months 
hence  will  be  quite  as  far  removed  from  those 
now  held. 


76  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

As  all  children  like  stories,  and  but  few  can  be 
permanently  interested  in  reading  of  a  different 
character,  story-reading  would  seem  to  be,  and,  I 
believe  is,  the  true  method  of  commencing  our 
work  upon  the  taste  of  the  child. 

Stories  may  be  true,  may  be  founded  on  fact, 
or  may  be  properly  classed  as  fiction.  Children 
like  them  all,  perhaps,  equally  well,  though  I 
have  sometimes  thought  that  they  prefer  those 
that  are  true.  Our  work  as  teachers  is  to  culti- 
vate the  taste  of  the  child,  so  that  he  will  prefer 
the  good  story  to  the  bad.  But  what  constitutes 
a  good  story  for  children  ? 

i.  It  must  be  pure  in  thought,  and  simple  in 
style  and  language. 

2.  It  must  not  be  unreal. 

It  must  be  pure  in  thought,  and  so  I  would  re- 
ject some  of  the  novels  of  Charles  Reade,  and 
others  that  too  readily  suggest  themselves  to  our 
minds. 

It  must  not  be  unreal ;  hence  I  would  put  one 
side,  for  future  reading,  perhaps,  such  stories  as 
those  written  by  Jules  Verne  ;  and  while  I  do  not 
object  to  the  "  Arabian  Nights"  and  fairy  tales 
on  high  moral  grounds,  I  think  we  can  spend 
our  time  in  school  on  some  other  books  to 
much  better  advantage. 

A  successful  painter  catches  the  expression  of 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    77 

his  subject  at  his  best ;  and  so  we  sometimes  say 
that  the  portrait  flatters.  But  if  the  likeness  be 
a  good  one  the  charge  is  not  true.  So,  in  a  good 
story,  the  elements  which  combined  make  up  the 
characters  delineated  may,  and  in  fact  should,  be 
so  selected  as  to  make  an  ideal  character,  correct 
in  every  particular,  and  unreal  only  in  combina- 
tion. Mrs.  Whitney's  popular  story,  "A  Sum- 
mer in  Leslie  Goldthwaite's  Life,"  will  illustrate 
this  point. 

My  pupils,  in  discussing  it,  charged  that  the 
characters  were  overdrawn.  Leslie,  was  too 
good.  Sin  Saxon's  badness  developed  too 
rapidly  into  goodness,  and  Miss  Craydockc's 
saintly  characteristics  were  entirely  beyond  the 
reach  of  ordinary  mortals.  But  after  studying 
for  a  few  lessons  the  different  phases  of  charac- 
ter, as  brought  out  in  the  incidents  of  the  story, 
all  agreed  that  the  presentations,  when  taken  by 
themselves,  were  not  unreal,  and  that  the  objec- 
tion which  each  involuntarily  made  to  the  story 
was  from  the  fact  that  too  much  that  is  good,  or 
too  much  that  is  bad,  was  crowded  more  rapidly 
than  is  real  into  the  portrayal  of  the  leading 
characters. 

We  should  never  lose  sight  of  the  real  object 
that  the  teacher  should  have  in  view  while  direct- 
ing the  reading  of  his  pupils.     It  is  to  so  culti- 


78  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

vate  the  taste  that  they  will  make  a  wise  selection 
of  reading-matter  when  left  entirely  to  them- 
selves. 

We  may  indicate,  from  time  to  time,  certain 
books  that  can  be  read  with  profit,  but  unless  we 
do  more  than  this,  most  pupils  will  fail  to  follow 
our  suggestions,  either  from  lack  of  time  or  from 
lack  of  inclination. 

The  class  should  be  supplied  with  note-books, 
in  which  can  be  entered  the  names  of  books 
suggested  in  the  recitation.  This  list,  if  unused 
for  the  present,  or  crowded  one  side  by  the  pres- 
sure of  daily  study,  may  be  of  great  value  in  the 
future,  when  more  leisure  will  give  the  necessary 
time  for  reading. 

A  lesson  in  geography  will  suggest  numberless 
books  of  travels,  a  lesson  in  history  a  multitude 
of  biographies  arid  historical  sketches  ;  will  sug- 
gest, I  say,  but  only  to  teachers  who  are  familiar 
with  books. 

It  is  related  of  a  noted  preacher  in  Boston, 
that,  for  the  edification  of  the  theological  students 
in  Cambridge,  he  told  his  experience  as  a  ser- 
monizer.  It  was  his  habit,  he  said,  to  consider 
his  subject  carefully  through  the  week,  as  he  had 
time,  but  to  postpone  the  writing  until  Sunday 
morning;  then,  rising  early,  he  would  drink  his 
glass  of  milk,  commit  his  thoughts  to  paper,  and 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES  AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    79 

so  give  his  people  a  sermon  fresh  from  the  lab- 
oratory of  his  mind. 

Think  of  those  young  men  trying  the  same 
plan  !  Think  of  their  postponing  all  work  until 
Sunday  morning,  and  then,  on  the  strength  of 
their  glass  of  milk,  expecting  to  evolve  a  ser- 
mon out  of  their  inner  consciousness  !  Think  of 
the  waste  of  milk  I  And  just  as  absurd  is  it  for  a 
teacher  to  undertake  the  task  of  directing  the 
reading  of  his  pupils,  who  is  not  himself  a 
reader. 

Several  plans  for  attaining  our  object  may  be 
mentioned ;  and,  though  I  have  a  very  decided 
choice  myself,  it  is  possible  that  some  other  than 
mine  may  work  admirably  in  other  localities,  or 
under  the  direction  of  other  teachers. 

We  must  remember  that  very  few  pupils  can 
buy  books  for  miscellaneous  reading.  Nearly  all 
must  depend  upon  the  public  library,  and  but  a 
small  number  can  be  accommodated  by  the  library 
with  the  same  book  at  the  same  time.  These 
facts  are,  to  my  mind,  fatal  to  any  plan  for 
directing  the  reading  of  our  pupils  that  limits  the 
teacher's  work  to  suggesting  the  names  of  books 
to  be  read. 

A  book  should  generally  be  read  at  the  time 
the  reasons  existed  for  suggesting  it,  or  the 
interest  will  become  absorbed  in  other  matters. 


8o  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

If  a  pupil  must  wait  his  chance  for  obtaining  the 
volume  at  the  public  library,  and  fifty  others  are 
equally  anxious  to  secure  the  same  volume  from 
the  same  source,  and  all  these  in  addition  to  the 
usual  patrons  of  the  library,  one  can  imagine  the 
hopelessness  of  the  teacher's  task  whose  plan  of 
operations  is  limited  to  giving  advice  as  to  books 
that  are  worth  reading.  New  subjects  will  sug- 
gest new  books,  and  the  list  will  soon  grow  to 
proportions  so  formidable  that  the  ordinary 
pupil  will  become  discouraged. 

Another  plan  which  has  been  proposed  is 
worthy  of  only  a  moment's  consideration.  The 
plan  is  to  have  the  teacher  select  some  good 
book,  and  read  it  aloud  to  the  class,  or  cause  it 
to  be  read  by  some  pupil,  teacher  and  scholars 
discussing  the  subject-matter  as  the  reading  pro- 
gresses. This  method  might  be  a  good  one  if 
time  could  be  found,  apart  from  the  ordinary 
recitations,  to  carry  on  this  work.  But  such 
time  is  so  limited,  and  the  interruptions  so 
numerous,  that  all  interest  in  the  story  would 
inevitably  die  out,  in  consequence  of  the  slow- 
ness of  the  progress.  Such  a  plan  might  work 
very  well  with  small  children,  where  short  stories 
could  be  the  rule;  but  I  feel  quite  sure  it  would 
not  prove  a  success  in  the  upper  classes  of  our 
grammar  schools. 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    8l 

Two  plans  remain,  both  of  which  I  heartily 
commend,  the  choice  to  depend  entirely  upon 
circumstances. 

Fi?'st.  Ask  the  librarian  to  supply  you  with 
twenty- five  or  thirty  carefully  selected  books, 
— books  that  you  have  read  yourself,  and  will 
help  forward,  in  some  way,  your  school  work. 
Some  may  be  books  of  travel,  some  histories, 
some  biographies,  some  works  of  fiction.  These 
books  may  all  be  charged  to  you  by  the  librarian, 
and  you  held  responsible  for  their  use.  They 
may  be  distributed  and  charged  to  the  pupils  by 
the  teacher,  and  good  care  required  as  the  con- 
dition of  retaining  them. 

You  can  organize  a  system  of  exchanges,  so 
that  in  the  course  of  a  term  all  the  pupils  will 
have  read  a  number  of  excellent  books.  You 
can  adapt  the  reading-matter  somewhat  to  the 
ability  of  the  pupil,  and  from  time  to  time,  in 
familiar  conversation,  suggest  points  to  which 
you  wish  to  call  the  reader's  attention. 

There  are  grave  objections  to  this  plan,  for  the 
reading,  though  selected  by  the  teacher,  is  not 
carried  on  with  the  pupil,  and  much  that  is  good 
will  be  lost,  because  it  will  not  be  appreciated. 
This  objection,  together  with  the  fact  that,  while 
considering  the  story,  I  wished  to  study  the 
language  and  incidents  with  the  pupils,  has  led 


82  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

me  to  adopt  the  following  plan  with  a  moderate 
degree  of  success. 

The  librarian  in  Boston,  Judge  Chamberlain, 
very  kindly  offered  to  lend  me  sets  of  such  books 
as  I  might  select,  each  set  to  comprise  thirty 
copies,  and  to  be  retained  as  long  as  we  needed 
them  for  use.  These  books  were  loaned  to  the 
pupils,  and  carried  home  by  them,  two  using 
the  same  book  alternately,  each  one  evening 
of  the  week.  All  books  have  been  covered  by 
the  pupils,  and  occasionally  submitted  to  me  for 
inspection.  One  hour  per  week  has  been  set 
apart  in  school  for  the  study  of  this  book,  a  cer- 
tain number  of  pages  being  assigned  as  a  lesson, 
and  constituting  the  evening  lesson  for  the  day 
preceding  the  recitation.  This  lesson  is  always 
carefully  prepared  by  myself,  notes  being  made 
of  the  special  points  that  I  wish  discussed.  This 
is  a  work  requiring  much  time,  but  which,  if 
omitted,  renders  of  little  value  the  succeeding 
recitation. 

During  the  "  reading  hour,"  as  I  may  designate 
the  exercise,  the  pupils  tell  the  story  so  far  as  it 
is  developed  in  the  prescribed  pages,  each  con- 
tributing what  she  can  to  make  the  account  com- 
plete. As  the  books  are  not  used  in  the  exercise, 
either  by  teacher  or  pupil,  the  efforts  at  story- 
telling become  language  lessons  of  the  very  best 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES   AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    S3 

type,  each  pupil  being  encouraged  to  make  state- 
ments as  full  and  extended  as  possible. 

The  characters  introduced  are  next  taken  up 
and  discussed,  pupils  not  only  reproducing  what 
they  have  read  in  the  book,  but  criticising  the 
characters  as  drawn  by  the  author.  These  criti- 
cisms are  frequently  keen,  usually  just,  and  always 
interesting.  The  morality  of  the  story,  if  I  may 
so  express  myself,  is  next  brought  under  dis- 
cussion, and  an  attempt  made  to  inculcate  and 
emphasize  what  is  good,  and  justly  stigmatize 
all  that  is  bad.  It  is  impossible,  in  a  brief  paper, 
to  fully  specify  all  that  may  be  done  in  such  an 
exercise.  Every  teacher  will  have  his  own  plan 
and  develop  it  in  his  own  way. 

Much  skill  will  be  required  to  secure  the  co- 
operation of  all  the  pupils,  as  some  find  it  much 
more  difficult  than  others  to  express  in  good 
language  the  thoughts  that  have  been  gathered 
or  awakened.  Education,  natural  ability,  and 
numberless  circumstances  make  a  world-wide 
difference  between  the  pupils  of  a  class. 

I  will  only  say,  just  here,  that  so  far  I  have 
found  the  hour  devoted  to  general  reading  to  be 
very  enjoyable,  and  I  think  very  profitable. 

The  advantages  of  this  last  plan  over  any  other 
that  I  have  considered  are  many.  In  the  first 
place,   the  combined   thought  of    teacher    and 


84  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

scholars  will  be  given  to  the  same  work;  and  if 
the  teacher  be  skilful,  the  pupils  will  not  only 
read  a  few  good  books,  but  they  will  learn  how  to 
read  them,  and  so  gain  the  ability  of  reading 
others  by  themselves. 

A  second  advantage,  and  one  that  was  quite 
unlooked  for,  is  the  gain  in  the  use  of  language. 
Children  like  to  talk,  and  only  ask  us  to  give 
them  the  opportunity. 

Mr.  Greeley  once  said  that  the  way  to  resume 
specie  payment  was  to  resume ;  and  so  I  would 
say  that  the  way  to  learn  to  talk  is  to  talk. 

The  grosser  errors  can  be  corrected  at  the 
time;  but,  as  a  rule,  the  conversation  of  the 
pupil  should  be  but  slightly  interrupted  by  the 
teacher.  The  utmost  freedom  should  be  allowed, 
and  the  fullest  and  freest  narration  on  the  part  of 
the  pupil  encouraged.  Written  statements,  as 
well  as  oral,  can  be  required,  and  so  facility  in 
writing  as  well  as  in  speaking  be  gained.  This 
same  plan  is  being  carried  out  in  our  second 
and  third  classes,  the  books  used  being  some  of 
those  already  studied  in  the  first  class,  besides 
one  or  two  that  have  been  furnished  by  the 
school  committee  for  supplementary  reading. 
Dr.  Eliot's  selections  containing  extended  ex- 
tracts from  the  life  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  Long- 
fellow's  "  Tales   of   a   Wayside    Inn,"   Cooper's 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    85 

"  Spy,"  and  one  or  two  others,  have  proved  in- 
valuable to  us ;  and,  as  we  have  a  large  number 
of  copies  belonging  to  the  school,  each  pupil  can 
be  furnished  with  a  book.  While  waiting  for  a 
new  supply  from  the  library  we  turn  to  these 
selections,  and  during  the  year  have  read  nearly 
all  of  them. 

The  first  book  that  we  read  together  this  year 
was  "A  Summer  in  Leslie  Goldthwaite's  Life." 
The  next,  Towle's  "  Pizarro,"  and  the  third, 
Scott's  "  Lady  of  the  Lake."  The  first  two  were 
completed  in  the  manner  just  indicated,  but  the 
close  of  the  term  found  us  at  the  end  of  the  third 
canto  of  the  "  Lady  of  the  Lake." 

If  this  plan  for  general  reading  can  be  carried 
out,  without  interruption,  in  the  upper  three 
classes  of  our  schools,  every  pupil,  at  graduation, 
will  have  read  with  his  teacher,  and  under  the 
most  favorable  circumstances,  a  large  number  of 
good  books.  It  seems  clear  to  me  that  such  a 
work  must  result  in  the  improved  taste  and  gen- 
eral culture  of  the  pupil. 

It  is  well,  also,  to  keep  a  record  of  the  outside 
reading  of  the  pupils  in  the  class.  For  this  pur- 
pose the  names  can  be  arranged  alphabetically, 
in  some  blank  book,  a  sufficient  space  being  al- 
lowed each  pupil  for  a  record  of  his  reading 
during  the  year.     Once  a  week  the  pupils  write 


86  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

the  names  of  such  books,  together  with  their 
authors,  upon  slips  of  paper,  and  place  them 
upon  the  teacher's  desk  at  the  time  of  dismissal. 
These  slips  are  copied  by  the  teacher  at  her 
leisure;  and  so,  at  a  glance,  she  can  know  the 
usual  reading  of  the  pupil,  and  can  suggest,  from 
time  to  time,  such  changes  as  may  seem  desirable. 

Who  can  doubt  that  should  a  similar  work  be 
carried  on  in  all  our  schools,  the  quality  of  read- 
ing-matter selected  from  our  public  libraries 
would  be  greatly  improved,  and  the  value  of  the 
public  library,  itself,  to  the  community,  be  in- 
creased a  hundred-fold  ? 

I  feel  very  sure  that  nearly  all  librarians  will 
enter  heartily  into  this  work,  and  will  give  all  the 
help  within  their  power.  I  know  that  a  few  of 
them  seem  to  content  themselves  with  being 
faithful  watch-dogs  to  preserve  the  property  of 
the  town ;  but  my  experience  teaches  that  there 
is  a  greater  degree  of  readiness  on  the  part  of 
librarians  to  serve  the  schools  than  of  teachers 
to  accept  such  service.  The  latter  class  are  so 
sure  that  they  already  have  more  to  do  than  can 
well  be  accomplished,  and  that  the  introduction 
of  extra  reading-matter  is  an  extra  load  to  carry, 
rather  than  a  help  to  bear  what  is  now  imposed, 
that  it  is  wellnigh  impossible  to  find  a  respect- 
able minority  to  undertake  the  work.     It  is  very 


PUBLIC    LIBRARIES    AND    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.    87 

possible  that,  with  improved  methods,  we  can 
accomplish  much  more  than  we  now  do. 

I  am  convinced  that  supplementary  reading 
can  be  made  a  powerful  auxiliary  in  aid  of  our 
regular  school  work.  This  is  especially  true  of 
history.  The  exercise  in  general  reading  soon 
enables  the  pupil  to  reproduce,  in  a  few  minutes, 
with  the  utmost  ease,  what  heretofore  has  re- 
quired much  laborious  study. 

The  selection  of  proper  books  for  the  class  has 
proved  my  greatest  difficulty.  General  reading 
should  be  based  on  the  school  requirements, 
should  help  us  in  teaching  geography,  history, 
and  grammar.  Books  of  travel,  biographies, 
historical  novels,  and  a  multitude  of  others  can 
well  be  used  in  the  school-room.  But  our  own 
reading  rather  leads  us  away  from  the  books  of 
especial  value  to  children.  I  have  found  it  neces- 
sary to  make  a  business  of  reading  for  the  very 
purpose  of  enabling  me  to  select  what  is  best. 
Such  reading  is  not  always  just  what  I  should 
choose  for  myself,  but  it  is  not  so  burdensome  as 
I  supposed. 

Towle's  "  Pizarro,"  his  "  Vasco-de-Gama,"  or 
his  "  Magellan"  are  all  exceedingly  entertaining, 
and  serve  to  refresh  the  memory  upon  subjects 
that  have  long  been  crowded  one  side. 

I  claim  no  originality  in  the  plans  suggested. 


88  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

I  do  not  claim  any  great  degree  of  success.  So 
far,  the  whole  matter  is  an  experiment,  but  one 
in  which  I  have  the  utmost  confidence. 

Always  keeping  in  view  the  principal  object  of 
such  reading,  viz.,  the  cultivation  of  the  taste  of 
the  pupil,  so  that  the  quality  cf  his  reading  may 
be  improved,  I  can  see  no  reason  why  teachers, 
acting  in  concert  with  the  trustees  of  our  public 
libraries,  may  not  accomplish  a  work  that  is 
scarcely  second  to  any  other  in  the  good  that 
may  result  from  it. 


THE    RELATION    OF    THE    LIBRARIES    TO 
THE   SCHOOL   SYSTEM. 

By  William  E.  Foster. 

In  order  to  an  intelligent  discussion  of  this 
relation,  clear  ideas  are  essential,  regarding  some 
of  its  fundamental  elements.  It  cannot  perhaps 
be  better  introduced  than  by  attempting  to  es- 
tablish for  ourselves  correct  conceptions  of  the 
child's  mental  faculties,  of  the  proper  functions 
of  the  school  in  this  matter,  and  of  the  functions 
of  the  library. 

THE  NATURE  OF  THE   CHILD'S   MIND. 

First,  as  to  the  nature  of  the  child's  mind.  As 
a  recent  English  writer  has  stated,  we  "  cannot 
impart  any  new  faculties  to"  the  child,  "or  alter 
the  order  in  which  "  his  "  faculties  are  naturally 
developed."  All  our  "teaching  must  be  regu- 
lated by  what  children  are."  *  To  ascertain  this 
order,  therefore,  is  important ;  and  whatever 
variation  of  opinion  there  may  be  as  to  matters 

*  "  The  cultivation  of  the  senses."    Philadelphia  (1878),  p.  7. 


90  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

of  detail,  there  is  a  substantial  agreement  upon 
the  general  principle,  as  stated  by  Dr.  Hill,*  that 
the  perceptive  faculties  "  give  the  earliest  evi- 
dence of  activity;"  next,  the  imagination;  and, 
last  of  all,  the  logical  powers.  If,  therefore,  we 
would  develop  the  mind  of  a  child  by  the  reading 
to  be  furnished  it,  we  must  take  him  at  the  stage 
where  he  really  is, — calling  out  the  perceptive 
faculties  of  the  very  young  pupil  by  that  which 
cultivates  his  habit  of  observation,  suiting  to  the 
still  farther  unfolding  powers  of  the  child  the 
works  of  imagination  which  he  naturally  seeks, 
by  means  of  simple  and  natural  stories  carefully 
alternated  with  actual  facts;  and  not  commit- 
ting the  error  of  offering  to  his  attention  works 
which  involve  logical  processes,  before  the  mind 
is  sufficiently  matured  to  deal  with  them.  To 
illustrate; — you  would  not  put  into  a  young 
child's  hands  De  Ouincey's  admirable  essay  on 
Goldsmith,  which  to  a  mature  mind  would  be 
full  of  suggestiveness  and  meaning.  You  would 
rather  give  him  Mr.  Donald  Mitchell's  account 
of  Goldsmith  in  his  little  book,  "About  Old 
Story-tellers,"  which  aims,  not  at  tracing  out 
philosophically  the     principles     underlying    his 


*  "The  true  order  of  studies."     Thomas  Hill,  d.d.,  N.  Y., 
1875,  PP-  3-io. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.      91 

career,  but  at  exhibiting  the  vivid  incidents  and 
tangible  events  of  his  life,  which  the  perceptions 
of  the  child  readily  lay  hold  of;  and  which  help 
the  imagination  of  the  child  to  reproduce  for 
him  the  circumstances  of  his  career.  You  would 
refer  him,  not  to  the  elaborately  philosophical 
pages  of  Palgrave  and  Leckyforan  acquaintance 
with  English  history,  but  to  Dickens'  "  Child's 
History  of  England,"  with  its  simple  method,  and 
picturesque  narrative. 

Yet,  while  the  principles  just  stated  are  shown, 
both  by  reason  and  experience,  to  be  true, — as 
abstract  principles, — it  is  plainly  unsafe  to  rest 
here  in  our  examination  of  this  matter,  for  not 
every  child  develops  in  the  same  way.  Observa- 
tion shows,  even  in  a  selected  class,  of  equal  age 
and  similar  general  surroundings,  a  noticeable 
difference  in  the  rapidity  with  which  the  use  of 
faculties  is  acquired,  in  the  ease  and  thorough- 
ness with  which  they  are  applied,  and  in  the  capa- 
bilities manifested.  Our  recognition,  therefore, 
of  the  abstract  principle  must  be  supplemented  by 
a  careful  study  of  the  individual  pupil,  and  the 
reading,  no  less  than  the  teaching,  intended  for 
that  pupil,  must  be  judiciously  adapted  to  his 
individuality ;  must  grow  out  of  his  peculiar 
characteristics  and  capabilities.  This  is  why  cata- 
logues and   special  lists,  and.  in  fact,  all  instru- 


02  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

mentalities  undertaken  on  a  general  scale  for  in- 
fluencing and  aiding  young  readers,  must  lose  at 
least  one  half  their  designed  efficiency,  unless  sup- 
plemented at  every  point  by  the  living  interest 
and  sympathy  of  some  one,  whether  teacher,  li- 
brarian, or  parent,  in  the  individual  pupil. 

If,  therefore,  "  the  first  thing  to  be  borne  in 
mind,"  as  suggested  by  Mr.  Charles  Francis 
Adams,  Jr.,*  in  imbuing  children  with  a  healthy 
love  of  good  reading,  "  is  that  they  are  not  grown 
people,"  the  next,  and  no  less  essential  point  is 
to  see  that,  in  the  gradual  unfolding  of  an  indi- 
vidual pupil's  mental  faculties,  he  is  permitted  to 
make  as  rapid  advances  as  he  is  really  capable  of. 
The  attitude  of  one  who  is  directing  the  develop- 
ment of  a  child  should  not  be  the  mere  willing- 
ness to  furnish  what  his  uncultivated  taste  may 
demand,  but,  by  watching  for  the  first  manifesta- 
tion of  higher  capabilities,  to  be  ready  to  lead 
him  to  higher  and  still  higher  attainments.  And 
to  this  feature  of  training  attaches  a  wider  signi- 
ficance than  may  at  first  sight  be  perceived.  It 
has  a  direct  tendency  to  incorporate  into  the 
mental  constitution  of  the  child,  the  habit,  so 
firmly  fixed  as  to  be  almost  "  second  nature,"  of 


*  "  The  public  library  and  the  public  schools,"  C.  F.  Adams, 
Jr.,  p.  17  of  this  volume. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.      93 

continuous  development,  of  unremitting  self-cul- 
ture, of  conscious  selection  of  good  reading,  the 
absence  of  which  is  so  discouraging  a  feature  in 
the  reading  of  a  large  percentage  of  adults.  This 
"determination  of  the  pupil  to  self-activity"  was 
pronounced  by  Sir  William  Hamilton,  "the  pri- 
mary principle  of  education." 

In  thus  seeking  to  lead  the  young  mind  from 
the  valueless  to  the  good,  from  good  to  better, 
and  ultimately,  to  the  best,  there  are  certain 
natural  principles  of  whose  existence  we  may 
avail  ourselves  with  profit,  in  order,  as  has  been 
well  said,*""  to  have  the  momentum  of  nature  on" 
oar  side.  For  instance,  we  may  not  delude  our- 
selves with  the  notion  that  we  can  accomplish 
our  purpose  by  simply  withdrawing  and  forbid- 
ding some  injurious  work  which  we  find  occupy- 
ing the  pupil's  attention.  One  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful teachers  of  boys  in  this  city  has  said  that 
he  would  not  dare  to  do  this  without  at  the  same 
time  furnishing  something  to  fill  its  place, — 
something,  of  course,  which  should  have  an  up- 
ward tendency.  And  in  this  he  is  in  direct  ac- 
cordance, not  only  with  the  method  of  nature, 
but  with  the  teachings  of  that  parable  of  our 
Lord,  on  which  Chalmers  based  his  powerful  ar- 

*  "  The  cultivation  of  the  senses,"  p.  9. 


94  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

gument  on  "  The  expulsive  power  of  a  new  affec- 
tion." Again, we  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  neces- 
sity of  taking  readers  where  we  find  them  is  true, 
not  merely  of  the  stage  of  cultivation  attained, 
but  of  the  elements  of  literature  involved ;  that 
is,  elements  which  we  find  are  common  to  the 
reading  both  of  the  child  and  of  the  more  ad- 
vanced reader.  For  instance,  have  not  the  sea- 
stories  of  Mayne  Reid  the  element  of  fascinating 
adventure,  of  exciting  encounters,  and  vivid  in- 
cident, in  common  with  Irving's  "Columbus,"  or 
Towle's  "Magellan"  and  "  Vasco  da  Gama?" 
Have  not  the  Indian  tales  of  Cooperthe  element 
of  romantic  surroundings,  and  unflagging  interest, 
in  common  with  Parkman's  "  Frontenac,"  or  Eg- 
gleston's  "  Brant  and  Red-jacket?"  Have  not 
the  stories  of  military  and  naval  life  which  hold 
the  attention  of  the  boy  reader,  elements  of  ad- 
venture, and  valor,  and  true  heroism,  in  common 
with  Froissart's  "Chronicles"  and  General  Bart- 
lett's  Life,  and  Irving's  Life  of  Washington  ? 
Have  not  Sir  Walter  Scott's  "  Monastery,"  or 
William  Black's  "White  Wings,"  the  elements 
of  the  charm  of  Scottish  history  and  Scottish 
scenery,  in  common  with  Miss  Strickland's  "Life 
of  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,"  and  Hamerton's  "  Pain- 
ter's Camp  in  the  Highlands,"  for  girls  as  well  as 
for  boys?     It  is  wise,  therefore,  to  avail  ourselves 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.      95 

of  every  such  connecting  link,  wherever  our  ob- 
servation has  satisfied  us  that  it  exists. 

Another  principle  of  which  we  may  avail  our- 
selves, is  the  fact  that  present  events  make  a 
much  more  vivid  impression  on,  and  familiar  ob- 
jects have  a  more  decided  meaning  and  interest 
to  the  child's  mind,  than  that  which  is  past  or 
remote.  But  with  our  modern  conveniences  of 
communication,  time  and  space  have  no  longer 
the  power  of  absolutely  limiting  our  interest,  al- 
though they  may  affect  it  relatively.  For  in- 
stance, Afghanistan  is  a  distant  country,  but  if 
we  would  effectively  interest  a  child  in  reading 
about  it,  there  is  no  better  time  than  while  the 
newspapers  are  devoted  to  accounts  of  the  Af- 
ghan campaigns.  Again,  the  landing  of  Roger 
Williams  is  an  event  of  the  past,  but  if  we  would 
have  a  vivid  picture  of  that  scene  impressed  on 
the  child's  mind,  let  the  time  when  the  excava- 
tion of  fragments  of  the  rock  has  created  a  pub- 
lic interest  in  the  matter,  be  made  the  occasion 
for  bringing  it  to  his  attention. 

The  nature  of  the  child  and  of  the  unfolding 
of  his  mental  powers  will  also  indicate  to  us  the 
proper  attitude  to  be  taken,  in  order  to  benefit 
him.  We  shall  find  that  children,  though  com- 
paratively inexperienced,  often  have  great  dis- 
cernment ;  that  in  the  majority  of  instances  they 


96  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

appreciate  a  service  rendered  and  a  genuine  in- 
terest felt  in  them  ;  that  while  very  likely  to  re- 
sent a  scolding,  petulant  admonition  to  do  better, 
to  read  better  books ;  and  pretty  quick  to  per- 
ceive an  underhand  attempt  to  entice  them  into 
improving  reading,  yet  when  a  patient,  straight- 
forward effort  is  made  by  someone  who  has  their 
confidence,  to  benefit  them  by  his  guidance,  to 
secure  their  interest  in  that  which  is  worthy  of 
their  attention,  then  the  desired  results  will  be 
seen. 

And  lastly,  it  is  worthy  of  our  recollection 
(whether  we  are  actually  engaged  in  guiding  the 
reading  of  the  children,  or  interested  in  having 
others  do  so),  that  we  are  not  living  in  Utopia, 
that  children  are  not  perfect,  that  occasionally 
one  will  be  found,  proof  against  even  the  best 
considered  effort  to  benefit  him.  If  we  bear  this 
in  mind,  we  shall  not,  of  course,  look  to  see 
everything  accomplished  at  once;  but  we  shall, 
with  unflagging  patience,  continue  those  efforts 
which  must  at  least  benefit  some,  and  are  almost 
certain  to  prove  of  service  to  many. 

FUNCTIONS   OF   THE   SCHOOL. 

We  now  come  to  consider  the  functions  of  one 
of  the  agencies  which  undertakes  to  guide  and 
assist   the   gradual  development  of   the  child's 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.      97 

mind,  namely  the  school ;  and,  in  touching  upon 
this  topic,  do  not  suppose  that  it  is  here  pro- 
posed to  introduce  a  technical  discussion  of 
methods  which  are  still  controverted  points. 
This  would  be  fitting  only  in  one  who  had  quali- 
fied himself  to  do  so,  by  an  actual  experience  as 
a  teacher.  It  is  rather  intended  merely  to  touch 
upon  those  more  obvious  phases  of  the  school 
system,  which  have  a  bearing  upon  the  reading 
of  the  pupils. 

For  instance,  it  will  readily  be  acknowledged 
that  the  function  of  a  school  is  not  to  do  the 
whole  work  for  the  pupils;  to  "finish  their  edu- 
cation," so  to  speak.  It  is  rather,  as  has  well 
been  said,  to  make  them  "able  to  educate  them- 
selves."* It  has  an  eye  to  the  future.  Now,  if 
a  pupil  is  simply  taught  "  to  read,"  to  use  the  al- 
phabet, he  can  go  on  from  that  point,  using  his 
acquisition  for  good  or  for  bad.  But  this  teach- 
ing can  never  take  the  place  of  instruction  "how 
to  read,"  which  is  essential,  if  we  would  not  com- 
mit an  error  similar  to  that  of  putting  edge  tools 
into  a  child's  hands,  and  never  teaching  him  the 
proper  use  of  those  tools. 

Moreover,   we  are  to  bear  in   mind  that  the 


*  "The  public  library  and  the  public  schools."   C.  F.  Adams, 
Jr.,  p.  9  of  this  volume. 


98  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

teacher's  influence  is  only  one  of  many  influences 
by  which  the  pupils  are  acted  on,  and  that  if  this 
influence  is  to  be  made  a  permanent  force  in  their 
lives,  it  must  be  by  their  making  it  their  own, 
and  thus  becoming  independent,  to  a  certain  ex- 
tent, of  the  teacher's  actual  presence.  A  teacher 
of  great  experience  has  remarked  that  there  are 
two  influences  which  well  nigh  determine  the  life 
and  character  of  a  pupil  after  he  goes  out  from 
the  influence  of  the  school, — his  companionships 
and  his  reading.  The  latter,  at  least,  it  is  largely 
within  the  power  of  the  teacher  to  control,  by 
judicious  guidance  while  the  pupil  is  under  his 
direction.  We  all  know  of  teachers  who  not  only 
have  shaped  the  development  of  the  young  men 
and  women  under  their  charge,  while  they  were 
still  pupils,  but  who  still  have  their  ear  in  mat- 
ters of  reading,  and  are  eagerly  looked  to  for 
advice  and  suggestions,  by  their  former  pupils. 

It  is  true  that,  in  order  to  effect  this,  a  teacher 
cannot  be  a  mere  hearer  of  recitations,  with  no 
vital  interest  in  the  development  of  his  pupils. 
There  may,  indeed,  be  many  phases  of  school- 
work  which  can  be  performed  in  a  strictly  per- 
functory way,  but  not  so  with  this.  This  is  one 
which  depends  not  on  the  mechanical  movement 
of  machinery,  but  on  the  contact  of  living  minds. 
The  teacher  is  not  a  person  who  has  stopped 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.      99 

growing  ;  he  advances  with  his  pupils,  and  grows 
with  their  growth.  To  quote  the  language  of 
our  school  commissioner,  Mr.  Stockwell,  in  his 
annual  report  of  1878,*  respecting  the  appropria- 
tions to  the  public  libraries  of  the  State:  "The 
teacher  must  realize  the  new  field  of  usefulness 
which  lies  before  him,  and  must  shape  his  in- 
struction so  that  it  will  prepare  the  child  to  make 
a  wise  choice  in  his  reading." 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that,  in  all  such 
work,  that  which  has  in  view  the  influencing  and 
developing  of  individual  pupils  is  the  surest  of 
securing  substantial  results  in  the  future.  To 
quote  the  words  of  a  recent  address  t  to  the 
teachers  in  a  Massachusetts  town  :  "  If  you,  dur- 
ing your  lives  as  teachers,  can,  among  all  your 
mass  of  pupils,  find  out  and  develop  through  your 
own  personal  contact  only  a  few — say  half  a  dozen 
— remarkable  men  and  women,  who,  but  for  you 
and  your  observation  and  watchfulness  and  guid- 
ance, would  have  lived  and  died,  not  knowing 
what  they  could  do,  then,  if  you  do  nothing  more 
•than  this,  you  have  done  an  immense  work  in 
life."  And,  to  quote  the  language  of  another 
recent  address,  by  a  distinguished  Massachusetts 

*  "Thirty-ninth  annual  report,"  Providence,  1879,  P-  io5- 
t  "  The  public  library  and  the  public  schools,"  C.  F.  Adams, 
Jr.,  p.  14  of  this  volume. 


IOO  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

teacher :  "  If  ever  a  true  inductive  science  of  edu- 
cation shall  exist,  it  will  be  formed  out  of  the 
careful  record  of  observations  of  early  influences, 
whether  of  the  world,  of  man,  of  nature,  or  of 
books,  and  a  just  estimate  of  their  relative  action 
in  building  up  the  character  and  determining  the 
career  of  distinguished  and  successful  men." 
[Address  of  W.  P.  Atkinson,  Jan.  3,  1880.] 

But  the  school  has  a  function  beyond  this  of 
benefiting  and  developing  the  individual,  although 
closely  connected  with  it, — a  conserving  force  in 
the  state.  I  cannot  more  fittingly  characterize 
this  feature  of  its  work  than  by  quoting  from  the 
admirable  address  of  Mr.  Thurber,*  delivered  be- 
fore you,  one  year  ago:  "  It.  is  an  established  in- 
stitution, so  intimately  and  organically  related  to 
the  habits  of  our  people,  and  so  well  equipped 
with  the  means  of  accomplishing  its  objects,  that 
it  furnishes  us  to-day  our  best  hope  of  touching 
to  better  issues  the  popular  morality,  and  of 
awakening  the  too  inert  civic  consciousness." 
Obviously,  this  function  of  the  school  belongs  to 
the  higher  departments,  where  the  pupils  have 
reached  an  age  when  the  reason  maybe  appealed 
to  in  their  mental  development.  Obviously  also, 
as  Superintendent  Eliot  suggests,  in  his  second 

*"An  important  defect  in  our  schools,"  Samuel  Thurber. 
Worcester.  1870.  00.  k-6. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.    IOI 

semi-annual  report,*  in  this  matter  "the  reason- 
ing faculty  should  be  our  first  object, — its  train- 
ing now,  and  its  exercise  hereafter,"  rather  than 
the  laboring  to  incorporate  preconceived  ideas 
of  citizenship  in  minds  which  do  not,  by  con- 
scious reasoning,  make  them  their  own.  Clearly 
also,  it  is'at  this  point  that  the  reading  to  which 
the  teacher  may  guide  the  pupil  will  be  of  most 
efficient  service,  when  judiciously  followed  up. 
To  take  merely  the  authors  mentioned  by  Mr. 
Thurber, — Cicero,  Burke,  and  Webster, — an  in- 
telligent reading  of  their  works,  in  connection 
with  the  contemporary  history,  supplemented  by 
the  living  interest  and  conscientious  influence  of 
the  teacher,  will  go  far  towards  training  up  in  the 
future  a  generation  of  intelligent  and  patriotic 
citizens. 

Lastly,  it  is  neither  a  wise  nor  successful  course 
to  overload  the  school-system  with  too  many 
functions.  To  quote  Superintendent  Eliot  once 
more:  "An  educational  course  maybe  packed 
so  fu'll  of  work  that  one  piece  crushes  out  an- 
other." t     For  this,  however,  there  is  no  occasion, 

*  "  Thirty-fifth  semi-annual  report  of  the  superintendent  of 
[the  Boston]  public  schools,"  March,  1879.     Boston,  1879,  p.  35. 

t  "  Thirty-fourth  semi-annual  report  of  the  superintendent  of 
[the  Boston]  public  schools,"  September,  1878.  Boston,  1878, 
P.  7- 


102  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

so  far  as  the  common  work  of  the  school  and 
the  library  is  concerned.  The  true  method  of 
cooperation  is  not  by  introducing  wholly  new 
growths,  but  by  turning  existing  agencies  in  this 
direction. 

FUNCTIONS   OF  THE    LIBRARY. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  library,  and,  by  examin- 
ing its  functions,  notice  in  what  way  it  may  sup- 
plement those  of  the  school. 

An  obvious  function  of  the  library  is  to  afford 
assistance  and  resources  whenever  possible,  to 
make  its  collection  a  workshop  in  which  the 
needed  information  shall  be  attained,  in  which 
the  skilful  use  of  authorities  shall  be  acquired, 
and  in  which  mental  faculties,  otherwise  latent, 
shall  be  called  forth  and  developed.  And,  in 
thus  offering  the  use  of  its  resources,  the  young 
reader  is  not  excluded.  The  state  of  things 
humorously  alluded  to  by  Mr.  Winsor  (in  his 
paper  read  in  1879  before  the  American  Social 
Science  Association,  at  Saratoga)  no  longer  ex- 
ists. "  Time  was,"  he  said,  "  when  the  student 
in  college  came  up  to  the  library  once  or  twice  a 
week  on  sufferance.  '  Boys  ! '  cried  the  warder 
of  one  of  the  first  of  our  college  libraries,  within 
the  memory  of  the  present  generation,  ■  Boys 
what  are  you  doing  here?     This  is  no  place  for 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.    IO3 

you.'"  *  Not  only  are  the  college  libraries  man- 
aged differently,  but  the  children  in  our  public 
schools  are  welcomed  to  the  public  library,  and 
encouraged  to  supplement  their  studies  by  a  well- 
directed  use  of  its  books.  And  there  are  two 
practices  which  have  been  adopted  to  some  ex- 
tent in  the  schools  of  this  city,  which  are  worthy 
of  still  farther  development.  In  some  instances 
the  teacher  sends  a  pupil  with  a  note,  or  other 
message,  to  the  librarian,  when  he  sees  that  he 
can  be  benefited  by  a  certain  line  of  reading. 
This  gives  the  librarian  an  opportunity  to  reach 
the  individual  pupil.  In  other  instances  the 
teacher  visits  the  library  in  company  with  one  or 
more  of  his  pupils. 

On  the  other  hand,  this  is  not  the  sole  purpose 
of  a  public  library  ;  for  it  is  not  made  up  of  books 
for  any  one  class,  solely,  and  its  selections  cover 
the  widest  range.  In  order,  therefore,  that  the 
pupil  may  use  to  the  best  advantage  that  portion 
of  it  which  is  suitable  for  him,  special  efforts  need 
to  be  made,  in  his  behalf,  on  the  part  of  the 
library  as  well  as  the  school.  The  librarian  should 
be  willing  not  merely  to  prepare  special  lists,  but 
to  co-operate  with  the  teachers  wherever  it  ap- 
pears that  important  benefit  may  be  rendered  in 

*  Library  Journal^  v.  4,  p.  4or. 


104  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

individual  cases.     Some  of  these  features  will  be 
considered,  later  on. 

A  function  of  the  library  which  is  coming  to  be 
more  fully  acknowledged  is  that  of  not  merely 
furnishing  the  material  for  the  reading  of  the 
public,  but  also,  so  far  as  possible,  indicating  the 
method  of  reading  and  study.  This  is  illustrated 
by  the  preparation  of  such  printed  catalogues  as 
those  of  the  Boston  and  Ouincy  Public  Libraries, 
with  their  full  and  minute  historical  references 
for  the  furtherance  of  a  plan  of  intelligent  and 
systematic  reading.  The  Fiction  catalogue  also 
of  the  Boston  Public  Library,  is  an  illustration 
of  the  manner  in  which  a  reader  may  be  led  from 
a  lower  to  a  higher  stage  of  reading.  The  special 
reference  lists  in  connection  with  such  subjects 
as  Rome  and  Athens,  as  treated  in  illustrated 
lectures,  and  on  such  current  topics  as  the  New 
York  obelisk,  have  been  prepared  by  the  public 
library  of  this  city,  with  very  satisfactory  results.* 
The  same  library  also  makes  a  daily  practice  of 
posting  up  references,  for  the  use  of  the  public, 
to  the  works  in  its  library  which  bear  upon  any 
matter  which  is  at  that  time  of  public  interest. 
All  these  features,  and  particularly  the  last,  are 

*  Since  Jan.,  i88r,  the  more  timely  of  these  lists  have  been 
issued  in  the  form  of  a  monthly  periodical,  entitled  the  Monthly 
Reference  Lists  (now  published  by  F.  Leypoldt). 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.     105 

such  as  may  be  made  directly  available  in  the 
work  of  the  school.  A  pupil  who  has  formed 
the  regular  practice  of  consulting  these  daily 
notes  is  likely  to  grow  up,  not  only  with  a  more 
intelligent  interest  in  the  world  around  him,  but 
with  that  suggestive  habit  of  mind  which  enables 
him  to  see  meaning  and  appropriateness  in  a 
thousand  things  which  a  less  carefully  trained 
mind  would  overlook ;  and  with  the  habit  of 
looking  at  things  in  their  relations,  which  will 
save  him  from  so  many  annoying  errors. 

Is  then  a  library  an  educational  institution  ? 
These  are  certainly  educational  functions;  and 
although  the  library  possesses  other  functions, 
such  as,  for  instance,  that  of  rational  entertain- 
ment, yet  the  educational  principle  may  profitably 
be  kept  in  mind  all  the  way  through.  "  The 
modern  library,"  says  Mr.  Winsor,  "  is  the  meet- 
ing of  what  has  been,  and  is  to  be, — the  accom- 
plishment and  the  potentiality."*  It  necessarily 
follows,  therefore,  that,  like  the  school,  much  of 
its  best  work  is  done,  not  for  a  present  impression, 
but  for  a  future  result ;  that,  by  the  current  of 
reading  and  thinking  which  its  well-directed  ef- 
forts may  succeed  in  introducing  into  the  life  of 
to-day,   it   is  silently  contributing  to  shape  the 

*  Library  Journal,  v.  4,  p.  400. 


To6  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

civilization  of  the  future;  that,  by  seeking  to  cir- 
culate good  literature,  and  to  make  the  thoughts 
of  great  men  of  all  time  a  vital  force  in  the  lives 
of  the  youth  of  this  day,  (who  shall  be  the  adult 
public  of  the  future),  it  is  really,  like  the  public 
school,  a  conserving  power ;  and  like  it  has  a 
claim  to  the  use,  the  gratitude,  and  the  interest 
of  the  public. 

SPECIFIC  MEASURES. 

With  this  view  of  the  functions  of  the  school 
and  the  library  and  the  nature  of  the  child's 
mind,  we  may  more  intelligently  enter  upon  the 
consideration  of  specific  measures  designed  to 
advance  their  common  work.*  And  here  let  the 
principle  already  alluded  to  be  carefully  borne  in 
mind  : — that  the  aim  is  not  to  introduce  wholly 
new  growths,  but  to  utilize  those  already  exist- 
ing. 

This  being  the  case,  then,  it  is  natural  to 
begin  with  the  text-books,  for  which  the  course 
of  study  provides.  To  use  the  language  of  one 
of  the  Boston  grammar  masters  who  has  given 
this  subject  careful  study  :  "  Let  the  teacher 
constantly  turn  the   mind  of  the  child  to  books 

*  See  also  the  article,  "  The  school  and   the  library ;    their 
mutual  relation."     Library  Journal,  v.  4,  pp.  319-25. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.     107 

that  will  illustrate,  explain,  or  more  fully  develop 
the  work  of  the  school-room.'  * 

We  shall  find  also  that  these  specific  measures 
will  depend  for  their  efficiency  on  their  adapta- 
tion to  the  age,  and  capabilities,  and  natural 
tastes  of  the  pupil.  The  lists  of  books  in  the 
public  library  of  this  city,  suitable  for  young 
people,  prepared  for  the  use  of  the  public  schools, 
provide  for  this  point  by  marks  distinguishing 
the  books  as  follows :  (1)  books  for  very  young 
readers,  (2)  books  for  somewhat  advanced  readers, 
(3)  books  for  boys  particularly,  (4)  books  for 
girls  particularly,  (5)  books  to  be  consulted  only 
at  the  library.  All  that  are  undesignated  are 
understood  not  to  be  subject  to  any  of  these 
limitations. 

So,  also,  the  methods  adopted  must  vary  with 
these  varying  conditions.  For  instance,  the 
children  in  the  primary  and  intermediate  schools 
must  be  approached  almost  entirely  through  the 
cultivation  of  the  senses  and  the  imagination. 
To  cultivate  the  senses,  some  primary  school 
teachers  have  adopted  the  plan  of  taking  a  book 
from  the  library  which  contains  descriptions  and 
illustrations  of  animals,  or  of  other  topics  in 
natural  history.     These   simple,  vivid   accounts 


*  Mr.  R.  C.  Metcalf,  Library  Journal,  v.  4,  p.  345. 


108  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

are  read  aloud  to  the  class ;  and  the  teacher  im- 
proves the  opportunity  afforded  by  the  interested 
questions  asked,  after  reading,  to  call  out,  de- 
velop, train,  and  assist  the  habit  of  close  obser- 
vation. One  of  Bewick's  engravings,  containing 
many  more  figures  than  could  at  first  sight  be 
perceived,  has  been  used  successfully,  to  test  the 
varying  abilities  of  the  children  in  this  respect, 
some  pupils  discovering  many  more  than  others. 
Some  of  the  teachers  of  this  city  also,  after  per- 
sonally examining  books  which  they  find  to  be 
suitable  for  young  pupils,  write  on  the  black- 
board in  the  school-room  the  titles  and  num- 
bers of  the  books,  the  children  copying  them  for 
themselves. 

In  the  grammar  schools  the  effort  to  cultivate 
the  senses  may  take  a  wider  application.  There 
are  few  better  ways  of  acquiring  habits  of  close 
observation  than  by  the  well-directed  use  of  ref- 
erence-books. A  beginning  may  be  made  with 
those  which  are  contained  in  the  school-room, 
but  the  teacher  should  also  improve  the  oppor- 
tunity to  send  the  pupil  to  the  library  for  others. 
For  instance,  the  question  is  asked  :  "Who  are 
the  reigning  sovereigns  of  Europe?"  or  "  What  is 
the  date  of  the  birth  of  Mary  Stuart?"  or  "  How 
many  steamship  routes  are  there  from  New  York 
to    Liverpool  ?"     It    is   probable   that   no   book 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.     IOQ 

would  be  found  at  the  school  which  would  an- 
swer these  questions.  In  sending  a  pupil  to  a 
reference-book  for  information,  care  should  also 
be  taken  that  the  child  not  merely  ascertains 
that  particular  piece  of  information,  but  that  he 
acquires  the  method.  In  using  the  text-book 
also,  the  matter  should  be  studied  topically,  so 
far  as  possible.  To  one  pupil  the  teacher  will 
say  "You  may  find  out  all  you  can  about  this 
point."  And  similarly  with  the  other  pupils. 
The  child's  interest  should  be  aimed  at  and  se- 
cured in  connection  with  each  point.  Lists  de- 
signed to  further  this  method  of  study  are  pre- 
pared on  the  course  in  United  States  history,  by 
the  public  library  of  this  city.  Much  may  be 
done  by  bringing  interconnected  departments 
into  relation  with  each  other  at  the  proper  time. 
Thus,  if  history  be  the  department  to  which  the 
text-book  belongs,  see  that  the  pupils  are  inter- 
ested to  read  the  biography  of  the  principal 
actors  in  the  period  studied  about.  And  here 
we  must  bear  in  mind  that  it  is  not  the  biogra- 
phy which  the  adult  reader  would  select,  with  its 
exhaustive  study  of  social  tendencies,  its  philo- 
sophical treatment,  and  discussion  of  abstract 
principles,  but  the  narrative  biography,  written 
f  >r  a  child's  comprehension,  with  its  simple  lan- 
guage, vivid   pictorial   style,  and  abundance   of 


I  TO  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

easily  remembered  incidents.  At  the  same  time, 
the  wise  teacher  will  make  sure  that  these  inci- 
dents do  not  exist  in  the  mind  of  the  child  as  so 
many  unconnected,  unmeaning  stories,  but  will 
endeavor  to  show  their  significance  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  individual's  character  or  in  the 
unfolding  of  the  historical  narrative.  It  is  here 
that  the  reason  has  one  of  its  earliest  opportu- 
nities of  exercise,  in  the  apprehension  of  cause 
and  effect,  and  the  careful  establishment  of  that 
relation.  In  the  grammar  schools  also  the  exer- 
cise of  English  composition  exists,  which,  when 
rightly  improved,  can  be  made  the  source  of  so 
much  genuine  pleasure  and  advantage  to  the 
child,  instead  of  being  (as  it  is  sometimes)  a 
fearful  bugbear.  The  first  trials  of  the  child  at 
this  art  of  expressing  himself,  must  of  course,  be 
simple,  unambitious  attempts.  In  order  to  be 
successful,  the  essay  must  be  about  something 
on  which  he  has  some  actual  knowledge,  and  in 
which  he  has  some  living  interest.  Some  of  the 
teachers  of  this  city  have  successfully  used  the 
method  of  assigning  to  their  pupils  an  essay  on 
some  book  read  with  interest,  or  on  some  topic 
in  the  lesson  which  had  been  studied  with  profit. 
There  is  an  unmistakable  satisfaction,  as  we  all 
know,  in  the  acquisition  of  a  new  faculty,  and 
this  delight  is  not  unknown  to  the  child,  who  for 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.    Ill 

the  first  time  finds  himself  able  to  express  him- 
self intelligibly  and  appropriately.  Here  again, 
the  reason  is  brought  into  exercise  by  the  child 
in  shaping  his  thoughts  for  appropriate  expres- 
sion. 

But  if  the  written  composition  can  yield  such 
valuable  results,  even  more  can  be  said  for  the 
oral  exercise  or  "  reading  hour."  By  oral  exer- 
cise is  not  here  meant  the  universal  adoption  of 
the  oral  method  (which  may,  at  least,  still  be 
considered  a  controverted  point),  but  a  regular 
weekly  (or  fortnightly)  exercise  in  which  the 
oral  method  is  used.  In  some  of  our  schools 
this  weekly  exercise  has  been  found  one  of  the 
most  valuable  features  of  school  work.  On  these 
occasions,  to  quote  once  more  from  Mr.  Thur- 
ber's  address  of  one  year  ago,  the  subject  "  is  not 
formal  arithmetic,  grammar,  spelling,  or  geogra- 
phy, but  the  teacher,  himself,  with  his  fund  of 
knowledge,  his  convictions,  his  enthusiasm.  .  .  . 
They  are  the  dullest  of  exercises  when  perfunc- 
tory ;  they  are  the  brightest  and  most  animating, 
when  original.  All  the  pupil's  faculties  respond 
with  ardor  to  the  least  tact,  the  least  skill,  the 
least  warmth  of  sentiment  on  the  part  of  the 
teacher."*     Now,  this   exercise  is  one   which  is 

*  "  An  important  defect  in  our  schools,"  p.  n. 


112  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

directly  available  in  developing  the  reading  of 
the  pupils.  It  may  serve  as  an  opportunity  of 
inquiring  what  books  have  been  read  by  the 
pupils;  of  suggesting  others;  of  inquiring  and 
ascertaining  in  what  direction  the  pupils  have 
been  supplementing  the  course  followed  by  the 
text-book,  by  independent  reading  ;  of  suggesting 
and  enforcing  correct  habits  of  reading;  of  illus- 
trating the  topics  of  the  lesson  by  familiar  events 
of  current  interest;  in  short,  of  developing  the 
faculties  of  the  pupil,  under  peculiarly  favorable 
circumstances. 

Some  time  ago,  at  an  annual  meeting  of  the 
Massachusetts  Teachers'  Association,  Mr.  Met- 
calf,  of  the  Weils  School,  in  Boston,  described  an 
interesting  feature  of  his  weekly  "  reading  hour," 
or  oral  exercise.  There  is  a  sufficient  number 
of  copies  of  the  same  book  to  supply  the  class. 
This  book,  (Mrs.  Whitney's  "  Leslie  Goldthwaite," 
for  instance),  is  carefully  read,  and  then  in  the 
weekly  exercise,  questions  are  asked,  bringing 
out  its  different  features.  For  instance,  one 
pupil  takes  up  a  given  character,  states  what  part 
this  character  performed,  and  what  his  distin- 
guishing traits  were.  Another  discusses  the 
general  movement  of  the  plot,  and  the  style. 
These  things,  he  says,  teach  them  close  observa- 
tion, and  develop  their  critical  faculty,  and  power 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.     113 

of  discrimination.  Others,  however,  take  up  a 
given  portion  of  the  story,  and  reproduce  it  in 
their  own  words.  This,  he  says,  serves  as  a  lan- 
guage lesson.  It  is  something  not  readily  to  be 
memorized,  and  the  pupils  are  driven  to  fall  back 
on  their  own  resources.  The  same  thing  was  to 
be  noticed  4n  an  exercise*  in  a  Providence  school 
recently,  where  one  pupil  told  in  her  own  words 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  story  of  the  "  Vicar  of 
Wakefield."  In  language  which  was  plainly  her 
own,  bearing  every  indication  of  genuineness, 
sometimes,  for  a  single  moment,  at  a  loss  for  the 
rifrht  word,  but  never  losing  the  thread  of  the 
story,  with  a  manner  so  interested  that  it  carried 
with  her  the  interested  attention  of  her  class- 
mates who  had  not  read  it,  this  young  story-teller 
went  on  from  the  beginning  to  the  close.  There 
was  the  most  evident  appreciation  of  Goldsmith's 
delightful  humor,  and  some  questions  at  the  end 
showed  that  she  had  found  her  interest  awak- 
ened in  the  incidents  of  Goldsmith's  life  and 
career. 

Now,  an  exercise  like  this  is  very  instructive. 
It  shows  the  advantage  of  the  oral  exercise  as  a 
language  lesson.     In  all   this  story,  as  told  by 


*  This  exercise  is  described  more  fully  in  the  New  England 
Joiirnal  of  Education,  Feb.  19,  1880,  p.  117. 


114  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

the  child,  there  were  no  technical,  rarely-written 
words,  which  could  have  no  meaning  to  a  child, 
and  yet  there  was  here  and  there  a  word  (and 
for  this  she  was  sometimes,  as  was  remarked, 
obliged  to  hesitate),  which  she  had  not  in  her 
use  of  language,  thus  far,  had  occasion  to  use 
frequently.  The  effort  was  a  means  of  making 
it  more  thoroughly  hers  thereafter.  As  Superin- 
tendent Eliot  says  :  "  Lead  a  child  to  find  a  thing 
himself,  and  it  seems  all  his  finding;  because  it 
seems  so,  he  is  interested  in  it,  and  his  interest 
secures  his  mastery  of  it."*  Observe,  also,  how 
the  imagination  is  cultivated,  which  a  distin- 
guished teacher  has  called  "  the  greatest  of  all 
educational  forces."t  And  the  same  writer  goes 
on  to  show  how,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  this 
faculty  will  have  its  exercise  on  something, — if 
not  on  good  literature,  then  on  the  more  worth- 
less fiction,— "the  only  remedy  is  such  a  training 
of  the  popular  taste  as  would  make  such  rubbish 
intolerable."! 

Besides  thus  cultivating  the  senses  and  the 
imagination,  this  exercise  may,  among  the  pupils 
of  the  high  school  and  the  older  pupils  of  the 

*  "Thirty-fifth  semiannual  report,"  p.  31. 
t  "  On  the  right  use  of  books,"  W".  P.  Atkinson,  Boston,  1878, 
p.  22. 

%  "  On  the  right  use  of  books,"  p.  22. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.    115 

grammar  school,   aim   also   at    developing  the 
reasoning  faculty,  and  one  appropriate  direction 
for  the  exercise,  may  be  the  development  of  right 
conceptions  of  government  and  of  citizenship,  as 
has  been  already  pointed  out.     A  teacher  in  this 
city  has  recently  conducted  her  pupils  in  succes- 
sion over  a  study,  (1)  of   the  charter  and  ordi- 
nances of  the  city  in  which  they  live,  (2)  of  the 
charter  and  constitution  of  the  state  in  which 
they  live,  and  (3)  of  the  United  States  constitu- 
tion, the   circumstances   under  which  that  was 
formed,    and   the   duties    of    citizens   under    it. 
There  is  space  only  to  mention  some  of  the  other 
methods  which  have  been  found  successful.   One 
of  the  teachers  of  this  city  has  long  been  in  the 
habit  of  having  her  pupils  supplied  with  blank- 
books,  and  at  certain  intervals  she   mentions  the 
titles  of  books  which  she  wishes  them  to  enter  in 
this  memorandum,  and  to  read.     These  are  pretty 
sure  to  be  read,  for  not  unfrequently  the  subjects 
of  their  written  essays  have  direct  reference  to 
the  contents  of  these  books.     She  also  uses  this 
method  to  illustrate  fiction  by  history,  and  his- 
tory by  fiction,  as   well  as  biography.     Thus,  if 
the  class  is  studying  about  Cromwell,  "  Wood- 
stock" is  likely  to  be  recommended  for  reading. 
Can  we  not  see  what  a  power  this  list  of  books, 
furnished   by  an  intelligent,  interested  teacher, 


Il6  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

continued  for  a  series  of  years,  will  have,  in  deter- 
mining the  direction  of  the  pupils'  reading,  think- 
ing, and  living?  Another  plan  which  has  been 
attended  with  excellent  results  in  this  city  and 
elsewhere,  is  for  the  teacher  personally  to  exa- 
mine the  books  for  young  people  in  the  public 
library,  and,  selecting  the  titles  of  a  number  of 
those  which  he  considers  best  adapted  to  his  own 
pupils' reading,  procure  copies  of  them  for  what 
may  be  called  a  "school  library."  The  books 
circulate  under  the  teacher's  own  eye.  They 
are  passed  from  one  pupil  to  another,  until  all 
have  had  them.  The  time  for  which  they  are 
kept  is  known  by  the  teacher,  and  the  tendency 
to  rush  hastily  through  three  or  four  books  in 
a  week  (always  to  be  guarded  against),  cannot 
make  very  much  headway.  What  is  really  the 
most  valuable  feature  of  the  plan,  however,  is  the 
opportunity  which  it  gives  the  teacher,  of  reaching 
the  individual  pupil,  of  watching  his  growth,  and 
guiding  his  development;  of  dropping  a  helpful 
suggestion,  when  giving  him  the  book,  and  of 
hearing  his  comment  on  it,  when  he  has  read  it ; 
of  observing  in  what  way  books  and  authors  act 
on  the  young  mind,  thus  being  better  able  to 
benefit  the  pupil  in  subsequent  efforts. 

*  For  a  fuller  account  of  this  plan  see  the  next  chapter. 


LIBRARIES    AND    THE    SCHOOL    SYSTEM.    117 

The  last  method  to  which  I  shall  invite  your 
attention  is  that  of  impressing  the  points  which 
need  to  be  observed  by  the  pupil,  in  his  use  of 
the  library,  more  effectually  upon  his  mind,  by  a 
printed  list  of  rules  or  suggestions.  Such  a  list 
of  suggestions  was  prepared  a  few  months  ago 
for  the  pupils  of  this  city,  in  their  use  of  the 
Providence  Public  Library.  As  this  list  is  in 
use  in  most  of  the  city  schools,  and  as  copies 
have  been  furnished  to  the  State  Commissioner 
of  Schools  for  distribution  in  other  parts  of  the 
state,  it  is  probably  familiar  to  many  of  you,  and 
I  will  not  now  do  more  than  to  touch  upon  the 
proper  method  of  using  it.  Do  not  suppose  that 
it  is  designed  to  take  the  place  of  the  teacher, 
in  guidingand  assisting  the  reading  of  the  pupils. 
No  set  of  rules,  however  well  considered,  can 
take  the  place  of  the  living  presence  of  an  in- 
terested teacher.  Put  these  into  the  hands,  then, 
of  the  pupils,  let  them  ponder  them,  and  make 
the  principles  their  own,  but  let  there  be  behind 
them  your  personal  influence,  more  real  and 
more  potent  than  the  printed  words.  When 
originally  distributing  them,  go  carefully  over 
the  ground,  explaining  each  point.  Afterwards, 
let  the  ordinary  teaching  of  the  lesson  be  made 
the  occasion  of  bringing  up  the  principles  for 
practical  illustration  and  enforcement.      Let  us 


Il8  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

remember  that,  to  a  child,  a  bare  abstract  prin- 
ciple, however  clearly  stated,  can  never  be  so 
full  of  real  meaning  as  the  concrete  illustration. 

The  relation  of  the  libraries,  then,  to  the  work 
of  observing,  training,  and  developing  the  grad- 
ually unfolding  faculties  of  young  minds,  and  of 
helping  them  to  attain  the  truest  manhood  and 
womanhood,  is  one  of  supplementing  the  work 
of  the  school,  at  almost  every  step.  Let  me 
promise  you,  on  the  part  of  the  librarians, — I  can 
speak  for  one,  certainly,  and,  I  doubt  not,  for  all, 
— the  heartiest  cooperation,  in  everything  which 
lies  in  their  power. 


A     PLAN     OF     SYSTEMATIC    TRAINING    IN 
READING  AT  SCHOOL. 

By  William  E.  Foster. 

The  plan  detailed  below  has  impressed  the 
writer  as  having  some  striking  advantages,  and 
he  has  thought  that  its  details  would  be  of  in- 
terest to  other  librarians  than  himself.  The 
school  in  which  it  has  been  in  force  for  a  few 
years  past  is  the  Point  St.  School  in  Providence  ; 
and  as  described  here  its  operation  is  confined 
chiefly  to  the  first  room,  or  principal's  room,  the 
pupils  of  which  have  an  average  age  of  about  fif- 
teen years.  A  plan  of  supervision  somewhat 
approaching  to  this,  and  intended  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  it,  is,  however,  found  in  other  rooms  in 
the  school. 

The  main  points  of  the  plan  are  as  follows  : 
(i.)  Careful  and  uninterrupted  study  of  the  re- 
sources of  the  Public  Library,  and  making  them 
available  wherever  possible.  (2.)  A  "  school 
library,"  selected  chiefly  from  books  in  the  Public 
Library,  circulating  under  the  personal  direction 
of  the  principal.     (3.)  The  systematic  supervi- 


120  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

sion,  instruction,  and  training  which  accompany 
the  reading  of  these  books. 

The  books  themselves  have  been  gradually- 
accumulating  during  the  last  three  or  four  years, 
and  have  now  become  a  library  of  several  hun- 
dred volumes.*  But  the  significant  feature  of 
the  collection  is  the  fact  that  the  books  have 
been  selected  by  the  principal,  Mr.  Sawin,  with 
as  minute  care  as  a  surgeon  would  use  in  select- 
ing his  instruments.  Not  one  has  been  admitted 
until  he  has  thoroughly  satisfied  himself  of  its 
contents.  The  importance  of  this  knowledge 
will  be  appreciated  when  it  is  considered  that  in 
a  certain  sense  he  himself  makes  the  selection  of 
reading  for  each  pupil.  Out  of  the  list  of  num- 
bers presented  by  the  pupil,  he  furnishes  that 
book  which  in  his  judgment  will  best  further  the 
process  of  intellectual  training  and  development 
which  he  has  in  view  for  that  individual  pupil  ; 
and  he  may  go  outside  of  the  pupil's  list  alto- 
gether. The  study  of  the  adaptation  of  individual 
books  to  individual  readers  is  plainly  an  essential 
feature  of  the  plan. 

This,  however,  is  but  one  half  of  the  story. 
The  pupil,  we  will  suppose,  has  drawn  Coffin's 


*  A  carefully  prepared  catalogue  of  the  library,  with  annota- 
tions and  suggestions,  has  just  been  published. 


SYSTEMATIC    TRAINING    IN    READING.    12  1 

"Old  times  in  the  colonies,"  or  Miss  Buckley's 
"  Life  and  her  children."  But  the  use  which  he 
shall  make  of  the  book  is  by  no  means  optional 
with  him.  He  may  not  return  it  the  next  day; 
he  must  keep  it  at  least  one  week,  and  in  certain 
cases  an  extra  week.  He  may  not  return  it  un- 
read or  superficially  read  ;  he  knows  that  he  must 
give  a  satisfactory  account  of  his  reading.  There 
are  several  ways  in  which  the  principal  satisfies 
himself  of  the  fruits  of  each  pupil's  reading,  (i.) 
The  written  exercise-books.  Each  pupil  is  supplied 
with  a  blank-book,  and  before  returning  a  book 
which  he  has  read  he  must  enter  in  this  as  care- 
ful an  abstract  of  it  as  possible,  and  he  has  the 
book  itself  before  him  while  writing  it.  It  is  a  well- 
attested  fact  that  to  write  down  on  paper  the 
main  ideas  of  the  last  book  read,  has  a  tendency 
to  write  them  at  the  same  time  into  the  reader's 
own  mind.  (2.)  Oral  abstracts,  from  memory. 
On  Friday  afternoons,  besides  reading  from  their 
written  exercise-books,  the  pupils  are  called  upon 
to  state  in  their  own  words  the  substance  of  some 
book — not  necessarily  the  last  one — which  the 
principal  has  at  some  time  put  in  their  hands 
for  reading.  The  advantages  of  this  method,  in 
drawing  upon  the  pupil's  own  resources,  in  com- 
pelling him  to  call  new  faculties  into  exercise, 
in  giving  him  facility  in  the  use  of  his  material, 


122  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

are  too  obvious  to  need  extended  statement.  (3.) 
Written  abstracts  from  memory.  Their  object  is 
to  allow  the  pupil  time  to  go  more  into  details, 
to  make  his  statements  more  deliberately,  and 
to  do  fuller  justice  to  himself,  than  when  on  his 
feet,  giving  an  oral  account.  Moreover,  they  are 
not  furnished  on  some  specified  day  in  the  week, 
by  all  the  pupils  at  the  same  time.  Each  indi- 
vidual pupil,  under  such  circumstances  and  at 
such  times  as  the  judgment  of  the  principal  may 
dictate,  prepares  and  presents  his  own  abstract. 
This  work  is  of  striking  excellence.  The  writer 
has  had  the  pleasure  of  examining  a  large  number 
of  these  abstracts.  With  few  exceptions  they 
show  such  a  familiarity  with  the  contents  of  the 
books  as  could  have  been  gained  only  by  intelli- 
gent and  thorough  mastery  of  their  essential 
points. 

The  question  may  be  suggested  whether  an 
undue  amount  of  time  and  attention  is  not  in 
this  way  devoted  to  that  small  number  of  books 
which  at  the  most  will  be  all  that  can  be  read 
under  these  conditions.  If  reading  these  few 
books  were  the  whole  end  and  aim  of  the  plan,  it 
would  be  open  to  question.  But  no  one  can  fail 
to  see  that  an  essential  feature  of  the  plan  is  the 
acquiring  of  the  method.  Not  simply  the  infor- 
mation that  New  York  was  settled  by  the  Dutch, 


SYSTEMATIC    TRAINING    IN    READING.    1 23 

or  that  sponges  grow  on  rocks,  or  the  attendant 
circumstances  in  either  instance,  are  the  end  in 
view  ;  but  ability  to  deal  with  other  books,  and 
preparation  for  making  the  most  effective  use  of 
a  library.  And  every  additional  book  thus  read 
and  mastered  confirms  the  habit  and  fixes  the 
tendency. 

It  may  be  queried,  however,  what  sort  of 
"  abstracts"  these  pupils  of  fifteen  are  capable  of 
making.  It  is  true  that  they  are  not  abstracts  in 
the  same  sense  in  which  the  "  Table  of  contents" 
of  Mr.  Bancroft's  new  work  on  the  "  Formation 
of  the  constitution,"  for  instance,  is  an  abstract 
of  that  work.  They  are  not  of  course  exhaustive 
enough  for  that.  The  pupil  gives  a  brief  state- 
ment of  the  purpose  of  the  book,  and  then  in 
most  instances  a  general  survey  of  the  book  as  a 
whole.  After  that  it  is  found  that  in  some  cases 
the  tendency  is  to  select  some  incident  of  the 
book.  This,  the  pupil  will  say,  "  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  of  the  matters  described  here." 
This  is  certainly  natural.  Yet  it  is  clear  that  the 
most  of  them  have  caught  the  essential  idea  of 
an  abstract ;  and  some  of  the  papers  show  a  very 
noteworthy  degree  of  skill  in  analysis.  Special 
pains  are  taken  to  develop  this  facility;  and  a 
marked  difference  can  be  observed  in  this  par- 
ticular between  the  papers  presented  near  the 


124  LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 

beginning  of  the  year  and  those  near  the  close. 
Books,  moreover,  have  sometimes  been  given 
back,  to  be  re-read ;  and  papers,  to  be  re-written. 
It  is  interesting  to  notice,  also,  that,  whether  the 
account  be  an  oral  or  a  written  one,  it  seldom 
fails  to  begin  with  a  statement  of  what  "  the  ob- 
ject of  this  book  is."  Inquiry,  however,  shows 
that  the  pupils  have  been  carefully  trained  in  the 
use  and  purposes  of  the  title-page,  the  table  of 
contents,  the  preface,  and  the  index.  They  are 
held  responsible  if  they  cannot  furnish  the  infor- 
mation which  these  aids  would  help  them  to 
find. 

It  might  perhaps  be  expected  that  the  tendency 
of  so  systematically  controlling  the  reading  of 
these  pupils  would  be  to  extinguish  all  real  inter- 
est. However  plausible  such  a  theory  may  ap- 
pear, it  can  have  little  weight  against  the  actually 
observed  tendency.  The  writer  has  more  than 
once  been  present  at  a  weekly  exercise  such  as 
has  been  alluded  to,  and  has  himself  talked  with 
more  than  one  member  of  the  school.*  Nothing 
could  be  more  hearty  or  unmistakable  than  their 
interest  in  the  topics,  and  the  spirit  with  which 
they  enter  into  the  plan  ;  and  it  is  perhaps  most 


*  See  Library  Journal,  v.  5,  p.  102-4  ;  New  England  Journal 
0/ Education,  Feb.  19,  1880. 


SYSTEMATIC    TRAINING    IN    READING.     125 

noticeable  in  the  oral  exercise  referred  to.  The 
remark  of  a  pupil  that  "  it  is  impossible  not  to 
become  interested  in  the  book,  it  is  so  plainly 
written,"  might  possibly  be  set  down  as  an  un- 
meaning platitude  if  occurring  in  a  written  exer- 
cise, but  when  uttered  by  a  pupil  whose  eyes, 
and  whole  attitude,  bear  eloquent  testimony  to 
the  genuineness  of  the  feeling,  it  is  not  easy  to 
question  the  success  of  the  method.  And,  in 
truth,  if  you  once  concede  the  teacher's  authority 
to  exercise  control  over  other  lines  of  study,  and 
if,  still  farther,  you  concede  his  soundness  of 
judgment  and  ability  to  command  the  confidence 
of  his  pupils,  the  existence  of  this  feeling  on  the 
part  of  the  pupils  no  longer  seems  any  more  un- 
reasonable in  theory  than  in  practice. 

Very  much  does  depend  on  who  the  teacher 
is ;  on  his  intelligent  familiarity  with  the  books, 
tact  in  dealing  with  children,  and  judicious  adap- 
tation of  all  the  details.  Granting  these,  however, 
it  is  plain  that  the  system  possesses  great  advan- 
tages. It  is  based  on  a  correct  theory.  It  is 
exceedingly  effective  in  practice.  It  commends 
itself  to  the  intelligence  of  the  child.  It  is  ac- 
companied by  his  lively  interest.  It  brings  to 
his  attention,  at  the  time,  some  of  the  most 
suitable  books  for  his  reading.  It  furnishes  the 
best  preparation  for  his  future  use  of  books.     It 


126 


LIBRARIES    AND    SCHOOLS. 


is  an  invaluable  introduction  to  his  use  of  a  public 
library.  Public  libraries  need  have  no  appre- 
hensions at  the  foundation  of  "school  libraries" 
like  these.  More  than  any  other  agency,  per- 
haps, they  are  serving  to  create  a  reading  public 
for  the  future  who  will  use  the  resources  of  a 
library  to  the  best  advantage. 


01 

[VEKSIT7] 


Monthly   Reference   Lists, 

A   GUIDE  FOR  THE  READER  AND  STUDENT 
TO  TRUSTWORTHY  SOURCES  OF  INFOR- 
MATION ON  CURRENT  TOPICS. 

PREPARED    BY 

WILLIAM   E.  FOSTER, 
Librarian  Providence  Public  Library. 

Terms,  Si  per  year,  10  cents  per  number.    Sample  copies  fur 
nished  on  application.     Address 

F.  LEYPOLDT,  Publisher, 

31  and  32  Park  Row,  New  York. 


"  The  two  volumes  1881-82,  of  the  Providence  Library's 
Monthly  Reference  Lists,  .  .  .  are  a  welcome  addition  to  the 
endless  variety  of  indexes.  They  can  be  used  in  connection 
with  any  good  public  or  private  library." — The  Nation,  Jan- 
uary 18,  1883. 

"Most  thoroughly  and  carefully  selected,  embracing  a  wide 
range,  from  the  best  German  authorities  to  the  latest  articles  in 
current  literature." — New  England  Journal  0/  Education, 
April  21,  1881. 

"Invaluable  to  editors  and  other  persons  desiring  to  consult 
works  of  reference." — Indianapolis  Daily  Journal. 

"  Any  teacher  with  advanced  pupils,  desirous  of  training  stu- 
dents in  habits  of  investigation,  could  scarcely  do  better  than 
supply  these  lists  as  texts  for  composition." — Springfield  Daily 
Republican,  April  22,  1881. 

"...  The  most  noticeable  and  perhaps  the  most  valuable 
feature  of  Mr.  Foster's  reference  lists  is  the  topical  subdivision 
of  the  main  subject.  For  a  student  or  teacher,  the  '  structural 
bibliography  '  is  much  morejvaluableand  suggestive  than  a  long 
listof  authorities,  which,  in  some  cases,  would  be  hardly  better 
than    a   catalogue.     For    example,  the    subject    of    American 


Monthly  Reference  Lists. 


'  Local  Self-Government '  is  much  better  treated  under  the  sub- 
division of  'Origin,'  'Tendencies,'1  New  England  Towns,' 
'  Middle  Colonies,'  'Southern  Colonies,'  than  under  the  main 
head  alone,  for  the  structural  method  presents  the  subject  from 
different  points  of  view,  and  yet  as  an  organic  whole.  This 
structural  method  stands  in  the  same  relation  to  the  generic 
subject  of  study  as  that  subject  does  to  study  in  general.  A 
catalogue  of  mere  names  or  a  long  bibliography  of  authorities 
is  often  very  discouraging  to  readers,  but  when  attention  is 
called  to  a  particular  subject,  to  a  special  point  of  view,  and 
to  an  individual  author,  then  a  point  has  been  made  for  the 
encouragement  of  readers  and  of  original  research.  The  most 
important  function  which  any  catalogue,  bibliography,  ref- 
erence list,  or  consulting  librarian  can  discharge,  is  to  arrest 
attention,  to  make  mental  points.  Mr.  Foster  distinctly  says 
in  his  preface  that  his  reference  lists  'are  intended  as  work- 
ing-lists and  not  as  bibliographies.'  He  does  not  aim  at 
being  exhaustive,  or  exhausting,  but  as  being  suggestive.  Mr. 
Foster  has  well  said  in  the  Library  Journal  (7  :  86),  the  bibliog- 
raphy '  aims  at  completeness  for  the  sake  of  completeness ; 
but  the  working-list  is  as  complete  as  it  serves  its  purpose  to 
be.'  The  purpose  of  Mr.  Foster  is  manifestly  that  of  a  prac- 
tical librarian,  desiring  to  aid  a  reading  public,  and  not  that  of  a 
scientific  specialist,  a  mere  antiquarian  bibliomaniac,  desiring 
to  collect  or  amass  all  existing  authorities  for  the  sake  of  hav- 
ing them  at  his  command. 

"  Scientific  point  in  the  description  of  books,  monographs, 
magazine  articles  is  of  more  consequence  to  most  readers  than 
bibliographical  enumeration  or  catalogue  completeness.  A 
reader  does  not  want  all  books ;  he  wants  the  best,  and  more 
especially  one  or  two  at  a  time,  with  special  reference  to  partic- 
ular things  that  may  be  found  within  them.  ...  A  good 
librarian  like  Mr.  Foster  and  many  others  in  this  country  will 
show  the  reader  a  subject-catalogue,  a  ready-reference-list,  a 
definite  way  of  finding  out  special  things  through  some  partic- 
ular book.  ...  A  good  method  of  ready  reference  is  like  a 
bright,  sharp  needle  in  a  skilful  hand,  deftly  working  some 
fine  or  useful  end  ;  a  poor  method  is  like  hunting  for  a  needle 
in  a  haystack." — Herbert  B.  Adams,  Johns  Hopkins  Univer- 
sity, Baltimore,  in  the  N.  E.  Hist,  and  Geneal.  Register,  Jan., 


Contents  of  Vol.  III.  (1883) :— January.  62.  The  Civil 
Service.  63.  Gambetta  and  the  third  republic.  64.  John  Green- 
leaf  Whittier.  65.  An  elective  judiciary.  February.  66.  Indian 
tribes  in  the  United  States.  67.  Mr.  Gladstone's  career. 
J\Iarch.    6S.  Richard  Wagner.    69.  Georgia  sesqui-centennial. 


Monthly  Reference  Lists. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS,   1881. 


January. 

page 

1.  The    stability    of    the 

French  republic 1 

2.  The    Plantagenets    in 

England 1,  3 

3.  The    demand    for    the 

cession  of  Dulcigno..      3 

February. 

4.  George  Eliot 5 

5.  George  Washington...  5,  7 

6.  Webster  and   the  con- 

stitution       7 

March. 

7.  Thomas  Carlyle 9 

8.  Alexander  I.  and  nihil- 

ism    9, 11 

9.  Hamilton's  influence. ..     11 

10.  The    sanity    of    Ham- 

let      11 

Al'RIL. 

11.  Lord  Beaconsfield 13 

12.  Free  ships 15 

13.  Sheridan's  "  Rivals"...     15 

May. 

14.  The  dramas  of    Soph- 

ocles   17,  19 

15.  Revision  of  the  English 

Bible 19 

June. 

16.  Abraham  Lincoln. ..  .21,  23 

17.  The   relation  of    Eras- 

mus to  his  time 23 

j8.  Madame  de  Stae'l 23 


July. 

page 

19.  Comets 55 

20.  Deep-sea  phenomena. 25,  27 

21.  The  French  in  Tunis..     27 

August. 

22.  Dean  Stanley 29 

23.  The  centenary  of  Kant, 

29.31 
September. 

24.  The  unification  of  Italy, 

_ 33,  35 

25.  English    discussion  of 

protection 35 

26.  Cardinal       Richelieu's 

career 35 

27.  The  Spanish  armada.      35 

October. 

28.  Yorktown 37,  39 

29.  Discoveries  at  Olympia    39 

30.  England  in  the  eight- 

eenth century 39 

November. 

31.  The      French      allies, 

[1778-81]         41,  43 

32.  The      English    people 

before    the     Norman 
conquest  43 

33.  Memoranda  on  Othel- 

lo, by  actors 43 

December. 

34.  The    proposed     inter- 

oceanic  canal 45,  47 

35.  Analysis  of  motive  in 

Macbeth 47 


Monthly  Reference  Lists. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS,   1882. 


January. 

page 

36.  ^Estheticism 1 

37.  Florence 1,3 

38.  The  Suez  canal 3 

February. 

39.  Henry  Wadsworth  Long- 

fellow       5 

40.  The  Roman  catacombs,  5,  7 

41.  The  Nibelungenlied. ..       7 

March. 

42.  The  German  empire. . .       9 

43.  Elements  of    unity    in 

Southeastern  Europe. 9, 11 

April. 

44.  The    Chinese    in    the 

United  States  13 

45.  The  Venus  of  Melos. . .     13 

46.  Burke  and  the  French 

revolution 13 

May. 

47.  Darwin  and  his  scien- 

tific influence 15,  17 

48.  Emerson's   philosophi- 

cal position  17 

June. 

49.  The  last  years  of  the 

Roman  republic  ...  19,  21 


June — Continued. 

PAGE 

50.  University     education 

in  Germany 21 

July. 

51.  Local  self-government, 

23,  25 

52.  European   interests    in 

Egypt 25 

August. 

53.  The  national  banks 27 

54.  Tendencies     of     local 

self  -  government    in 
the  United  States.  ..27,  29 

September. 

55.  Herbert  Spencer 31,  33 

56.  Wordsworth's  poetry. .     33 

October. 

57.  Daniel  Webster,  [1782- 

1852] 35,37 

58.  The   Gregorian  calen- 

dar      37 

November. 

59.  Philadelphia         [1682- 

1882] 39,41 

December. 

60.  Tariff  legislation  in  the 

United  States,  43,  45,  47,  49 

61.  Transits  of  Venus. .   ..     49 


The   Library  Journal. 

OFFICIAL    ORGAN    OF    THE    AMERICAN 

LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION. 
General  Editor:   CHARLES  A.  CUTTER, 

Librarian,  Boston  Athena-uni. 

The  Library  Journal  was  established  in  1876  by  the  co- 
operative efforts  of  the  leading  librarians  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic.  Its  chief  object  is  to  be  a  practical  help  to  the 
every -day  administration  of  both  large  and  small  libraries,  and 
to  effect  a  saving  by  enabling  library  work  to  be  done  in  the 
best  way,  at  the  lowest  cost.  The  Journal  especially  meets  the 
needs  of  the  smaller  libraries,  offering  them  the  costly  expe- 
rience and  practical  advice  of  the  largest.  In  refraining  from 
doing  imperfectly  what  is  done  so  well  by  the  several  journals 
specially  devoted  to  antiquarian  or  purely  historical  interests, 
the  Library  Journal  is  enabled  to  give  its  chief  attention  to 
modern  bibliography  and  current  literature,  as  represented  in 
its  departments  of  "Bibliography"  (proper),  "  Library  Econ- 
omy and  History,"  "Anonyms  and  Pseudonyms,"  the  "  Library 
Purchase  List,"  and  "  Literature  for  the  Young"  (a  new  de- 
partment edited  by  Miss  C.  M.  Hewins,  Librarian  of  Hartford 
Library  Association). 

The  Library  Journal  and  the  Monthly  Notes  of  the  Library 
Association  0/  the  United  Kingdom  (established  in  1880),  are 
the  only  periodical  publications  in  the  English  language  that 
are  devoted  exclusively  to  library  interests.  Although  the  ex- 
ponents of  the  library  experience  of  two  countries,  both  jour 
nals  are  in  so  small  a  measure  limited  to  national  or  local  in- 
terests, and  their  general  library  and  bibliographical  informa- 
tion is  so  predominant,  that  both  Journals  should  be  in  the 
hands  of  every  English-speaking  librarian,  as  inseparable  com- 
panions. 

Published  monthly.  Price  of  subscription,  $3  per  annum. 
Sample  copies  furnished  on  application.    Address 

F.  LEYPOLDT,  Publisher, 

31  and  32  Park  Row,  New  York. 


The  Library  Journal. 


"  Aims  at  supplying  that  want  of  a  means  of  mutual  com- 
munication, suggestion,  and  discussion  which  intelligent  and 
active  librarians  have  long  felt.  There  is  no  reason  why  the 
Journal  should  not  be  as  much  read  on  this  as  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic.  To  every  librarian  who  wishes  to  bring 
his  library  to  the  most  perfect  method  and  highest  degree  of 
usefulness,  it  bids  fair  to  be  invaluable." — Academy  (London). 

"  Would  save  money  and  time  wherever  libraries  are  begun. 
The  whole  science  ol  handling  books  to  the  end  of  their  best 
popular  use  is  expounded  in  its  pages  with  the  knowledge 
which  comes  by  experience." — Literary  World  (Boston). 

"The  American  Library  Journal  should  take  its  place  upon 
the  desk  of  every  librarian  and  every  collector  of  books,  to 
whom  it  will  furnish  more  than  one  useful  help." — Journal  des 
De'bats  (Paris). 

44 1  consider  the  Journal  one  of  the  most  valuable  aids  to 
librarians  ever  undertaken.  I  do  not  see  how  a  librarian  can 
venture  to  undertake  his  responsibilities  without  it.  Every 
library,  whether  public  or  private,  that  spends  $200  annually  on 
its  administration  cannot  pay  out  $5  with  more  advantage  to 
itself  than  by  taking  the  Journal." — John  Eaton,  Commissioner 
of  Education. 

44 1  regard  the  Library  Journal  as  one  of  the  most  important 
and  indispensable  aids  to  all  who  are  connected  with  the  man- 
agement of  libraries  in  any  way.  True  economy  of  methods, 
time,  and  money  may  be  here  learned  by  the  young  librarian. 
The  practical  suggestions  and  information  embodied  in  a  single 
number  are  frequently  worth  ten  times  the  year's  subscription." 
— A.R.  Spofford,  Librarian  of  Congress. 

44  The  larger  libraries,  of  course,  all  subscribe  for  the  Library 

r'oumal.  I  cannot  see  how  any  small  library'  can  do  without  it. 
am  receiving  a  dozen  letters  a  week  from  small  libraries  ask- 
ing me  questions  which  have  been  answered  fully  in  the  Librarv 
Journal.  My  custom  is  to  answer  briefly,  and  refer  the  inquirers 
to  the  Journal,  advising  them  to  subscribe  for  it  forthwith."— 
W.  F.  Poole,  Chicago  Public  Library. 

44  Its  value  to  smaller  libraries  is  simply  incalculable.  Limited 
funds,  want  of  trained  assistance,  inaccessibility  of  the  best  in- 
formation, either  in  bibliography  or  in  practical  administration, 
lack  of  direct  counsel  from  experienced  co-laborers — these  are 
all  reasons  why  the  smaller  libraries  should  come  forward,  with- 
out exception,  to  the  support  of  a  journal  which  places  the  latest 
results  of  the  combined  wisdom  of  the  best  libraries  at  their 
command." — Thomas  Vickers,  Cincinnati  Public  Library. 


APR  1  9  '93 


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